Flight of the Star Maiden
by Nefertili
Summary: A retelling of the legend - the celestial maiden who was forced to become mortal when a man hid her flying garments away to make her his wife. PalkiaxSalamence -EltaninShipping- with appearances from the upper echelon of the Sinnoh legendaries.
1. Distortions in the Fabric

_Author's notes__:_

_My greatest apologies to those who follow on my Inuyasha works, but it's time that I tried out something new. I won't be abandoning my on-hiatus Inuyasha fanfic, but please be aware that this story is currently higher on my priority list than _'A Puppy Like No Other.' _I've written several collabs from the Pokémon fandom with my fellow author Chaos Githzerai, but this is the first Pokémon fanfic I have written by myself. To avoid confusion, here are some important points to take into consideration:_

_(1) __**The characters (unless stated otherwise) are in humanized forms which were mostly conceptualized by me, but they retain the powers and titles they have as Pokémon. **__Actual drawings of them could be found in the devART link on my FFNet profile. The world in this story is different from the canonical anime/main games' Pokémon universe, but several locations get to keep their names and functions (such as the Hall of Origin, and later the Reverse/Distortion World). The treatment is basically more like a Mystery Dungeon universe with humanized Pokémon, but the story makes minimal references to those spin-off games (the exception being Dialga's Primal form)._

_(2) __**Legendaries have set genders despite majority of them being classed as genderless in the franchise. **__In the case of the Dragon Trio, Dialga and Giratina are male while Palkia is female. The Guardian of Space is one of the two key characters, but Dialga, the Lake Trio, Arceus, and (much, much later on) Giratina are vital figures as well. In addition, there will be important instances involving some Hoenn Legends, but they will only be revealed as the story progresses._

_(3) __**The main pairing in this story is Salamence x Palkia, AKA EltaninShipping in Bulbagarden's Shipping List. **__The Salamence is a male, Kouseikei by name. The rating of this story is an M for a valid reason, but you can be assured that the really restricted scenes are reserved for the final chapters._

_If any of those points bother you, please click the back button now. I understand that the pairing and character treatments are quite unusual, but since I am just testing new waters here, I kindly ask for your consideration and a little bit of moderation when giving feedback. I appreciate constructive criticisms, but keep nitpicking at minimum, okay? And one last thing: while this story could stand on its own, it will feature events which may also be found in two other stories I have made in collaboration with Chaos Githzerai, namely _'A Lengthening of Shadows' _and _'Truth Behind the Eclipse' _(still ongoing). Reading them is optional to follow the plot of this fic, but you may want to do so if you'd like to contrast POVs. All links are in my profile._

_The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri._

…o0o…

**Part I: Broken Wings**

**Chapter I: Distortions in the Fabric**

The God of Time tried to dismiss the incessant pulling on his sleeve as a mere product of his dreams. He did not want to wake up just yet; he spent most of yesterday fixing a particularly stubborn wrinkle in the Beat of Time and he was still tired. As the world created by him and his older sister advanced in age, the number of distortions in their respective dimensions also increased. Their father, the great Arceus himself, had taught his elder children not to underestimate the power of mortals who had sprung to life alongside the material universe they made. _They_ may be physically incapable of controlling time or space like Dialga or Palkia can, but as beings imbued with the Spirit first birthed by the Lake Guardians... their emotions, when strong enough, could leave an indelible mark in spacetime.

_'Mortals twisting spacetime both consciously and unconsciously with those _feelings _of theirs... Bah!' _Dialga complained in his mind. _'As if Palkia and I don't have enough in our hands already!'_

All things have to age and pass on to a new form. _That_ was an accepted fact among the deities. Only the immortals were above that fate. _But still, _Dialga could hardly comprehend how Palkia could so calmly accept the fact that stars -- among the most beloved of her creations -- will _all_ eventually die a violent death despite the enormous power she put forth in giving life to each one. And with every passing of a star, it releases the energy she gave for its creation back into space, leaving yet another ripple in its fabric. Another distortion. Talk about all the inconveniences _that_ entailed.

The nagging was _still _there, interrupting his thoughts. But this time, a voice came with it.

"Dialga, little brother, do you have any plans of waking up _at all?"_

The familiar pitch of the voice forced the Temporal Overseer to return to reality and push his dream-thoughts aside. Dialga's sleep-fogged eyes met the identical-looking ruby eyes of his older sister. Palkia tilted her head to the side, a quizzical expression on her face as she observed her younger brother.

"Was I so out of it last night that I signed up for a wake-up call without me knowing?" he said, yawning slightly. Looking instinctively at the window of his room, Dialga frowned. "Sun's not even up yet."

"No, you didn't do anything of that sort yesterday," Palkia replied, chuckling a little. "But I must say that _this_ is unusual. You are usually up and about before this hour, morning person that you are."

_"That _may indeed be my usual routine, but today is an exception," Dialga answered back quickly, his lingering tiredness unwittingly causing him to snap. "And so I'd like to ask you, sis: just _what_ brought you to my room this early in the morning?"

Palkia clenched and unclenched her hands on her lap, as though trying to find the best way to phrase her next words carefully. Finally, she faced her brother with a nervous smile on her face.

"Well, I just wanted to ask you, Dialga… would you like join me on a little excursion today?"

"Excursion?"

"You know… take a little walk in the mortal world, perhaps. But to make things more fun, let us make minimal use of our powers and blend in with the people."

Dialga could hardly believe his ears.

"Palkia, did you eat _something _rancid last night?" he exclaimed. _"Blend _in with the mortals!? Forgo using our powers for mere _sightseeing!?_ Sister, you must be telling me to hit myself with a Roar of Time!"

The Spatial Overseer stared at her brother, her eyes wide with surprise at his outburst.

"Little brother, I am not telling you to go and Selfdestruct yourself! A little outing will do you good, you know."

"No it won't."

"Yes it will."

"Oh _no, _it won't."

Palkia sighed, realizing that they were going nowhere with that train of conversation.

"Fine, you win," she said, wringing her hands in defeat. "I should have known it's of no use to argue with a half-asleep person."

However, it seemed that she only meant the comment half-heartedly, for Palkia paused to tuck the warm quilt more securely about her younger sibling before gently patting him on the cheek. When she spoke again, her voice had a softer, more soothing tone to it.

"Very well; rest up, Dialga! I'll be out for most of the day, so don't go searching for me around here."

Dialga sleepily clutched at her hand against his face. He couldn't help but smile faintly. Her actions made him genuinely regret that he couldn't force himself to accompany her as she wished.

"See you around, Palkia," he whispered, struggling to keep his eyelids from shutting close. "I promise I will go with you next time."

"There's no need for a promise like that," she replied, quietly pushing his hand back under the blankets. Prior to stepping out of the room, she looked back at him over her shoulders with a smirk on her face. "We both know how much you detest _living like mortals."_

Dialga could only manage a small chuckle in reply before sleep once more overcame his senses, causing the image of his sister to fade to black as she closed the door behind her.

…o0o…

Springtime came early that year. The sight of nature returning back to life after the dark lulls of winter was already a cause for rejoicing, and in the temperate regions, the transition between the seasons was especially dramatic. Pockets of white frost, melted by the warming temperatures, released themselves into rushing streams which reflected the glitter of a few remaining icicles still adorning branches of the trees. Even then, the thinning tendrils of ice were gradually giving way to young leaves just beginning to unfold. It was a spectacle worthy enough for a deity's eyes, or at least it was to the Goddess of Space.

Palkia flew in the form of a bright star, surveying the land from above. Part of her mind was occupied by thoughts of amusement and resignation about her younger brother. Although the Space Dragoness was nowhere near as mischievous as their little sister Mesprit, she had an adventurous streak that the Time Dragon didn't possess. It may be due to his affiliation with the steadfast Steel element, which was more resistant to change when compared to Palkia's more flowing Water. That in itself was ironic if one considered his status as the Overseer of Time, but even his older sister had to admit that Dialga's personality was more than effective when it came to bringing order to the Beat of Time. It was, after all, dangerous when left without restraints… in a way, just like him.

'_However, I can't help but think he's become a little _too_ resilient sometimes,' _Palkia thought as she flew on. _'It won't hurt to see the world through a mortal's eyes once in a while.'_

She was in a mountainous region now. The Space Deity caught sight of what looked like a deep pool of water enclosed by tall cliffs. The place intrigued her, for normally it would be at least mid-spring before the icy shells capping water bodies in such locations completely melted away. The pool in question looked so alive, and yet so calm. Palkia knew at once that she had to find out what made it so special.

Concealing her deity aura within herself, Palkia alighted near the shores of the pool. She shed the light cloaking her human form, revealing the figure of a pale-skinned woman with long dark purple hair reaching below the waist. The shadows of her eyes were a smoky red, and as she glanced about, the ruby of her irises formed a sharp contrast with her ivory complexion. She wore only a simple ensemble consisting of a pale off-white robe tied shut at the waist by a narrow sash. The robe was undecorated save for a pattern of lotus plants and blossoms floating in rippling water on its hem and long swinging sleeves. The lack of inhuman aura and elaborate robes befitting her rank made her quite unrecognizable as the Overseer of Space, but that was precisely the effect she was aiming for when she left her father's palace for the day.

The pool's shore was littered by large rock formations shaded by gnarled pine trees. Palkia deftly made her way over the gray-white boulders before she bent down on a flat rock directly beside the water. Gingerly, she let her hand hover over the crystalline surface. Her eyes brightened, and she dipped her fingertips into the liquid. It felt warm -- _warm,_ even though it was still too early after winter! _This_ had to be a hot spring, the sort that could weather the winter season away without letting its surface ice over.

Palkia withdrew her hand from the water for a moment. She looked around carefully, trying to sense if there was anyone nearby. Her spatial intuition told her that all was quiet, and that she had the place to herself. Standing up, she untied the sash on her waist and let her robe slip from her shoulders. The deity then laid the garments against the roots of a nearby tree where the robe would remain dry while she bathed.

As she dove into the inviting waters, she didn't hear the faint sound of beating wings descending into the valley. Several figures appeared, crouching on the tallest point in the surrounding cliffs, their eyes fixed on the young woman in the spring.

…o0o…

The light of sunrise touched upon the stronghold of the Salamence clan, causing its cloak of mist to shimmer silver before slowly dissipating. However, not everyone was quick to respond to the rousing calls of the sun, and Kouseikei was one of them. His inner body rhythms told him that the sun was up, but the reassurance of a new dawn did little to cheer him up. The overcast attitude that had settled upon him the previous night had not disappeared with the mist, and it hovered over him like a perceptible shadow. However, it wasn't as if he hadn't been acting like a damned wraith ever since Gyokuei passed on…

Reluctantly, he pulled the rough blanket off his body and stretched a little. After changing into a set of clothes similar to what other fully-realized male Salamence would wear, Kouseikei stood up to slide the windows open. Like the other dwellings of his clansmen, his small one-room home was built on a natural ledge hugging the sides of the rocky mountain on which they lived. Beyond the windows was a sheer drop, and the only safe way one could enter and leave the house was through a trapdoor on the roof.

One of the window boards jammed, forcing Kouseikei to wrestle with the thing for a few minutes before he managed to free it. The scent of pine and moss filled his senses after he pushed the boards to the farthest they could go. He breathed in the familiar smells deeply, letting the sunlight warm his face. His house shared the ledge with a gnarled old pine tree that clawed at the rock with its roots, and several of its branches were spread just beneath his window, so close that he could touch them without effort. Out of habit more than anything, the mortal dragon reached down and ran his calloused fingers over the pine needles, their prickly-soft feel greeting him like an old friend. The world was shifting seasons but otherwise unchanged. Or was it? Could it really be the same ever again now that their master had gone?

The sudden whipping of the calm mountain air forced Kouseikei to draw back from the window slightly. He shielded his eyes with hands to protect them from the sharp gusts of wind. A shadow fell across the window, blocking the sunlight. Kouseikei squinted his eyes at the figure, and he groaned inwardly upon finally recognizing the smirking face.

"Ashikase," Kouseikei said, hardly bothering to hide his annoyance. "That's quite a way to greet someone good morning."

The other Salamence laughed. An ever so slight hint of derisiveness was present in his tone, and Kouseikei didn't miss it.

Ashikase quickly withdrew his wings into the scaled patch on his back, but not before entering his fellow Salamence's abode through the window. Although Kouseikei stepped back to let Ashikase in, it was clear that he was not pleased by the intrusion at all.

"Is this the right way to welcome an old _friend?" _Ashikase said. The way by which he stressed the last word made one doubt if he actually considered himself as such to his kinsman. "Still lost in the darkness, aren't you, _Kousei? _Are your wings getting enough exercise?"

Kouseikei glared at the other Salamence. It was evident that Ashikase's remark, especially the last one, offended him greatly.

"State your business and then leave," he countered with an audible snarl, his fangs lengthening to some extent in an involuntary gesture of intimidation. "Or was _that _all that you have to say?"

Ashikase's grin vanished upon reading the warning signs of a flaring temper. He raised his hands slightly as a sign of peace.

"All right, don't bite my head off," Ashikase said. His tone suddenly changed, becoming the most lenient so far he had employed. "I heard about the decision of the Council of Elders. Is it true, then, that _that_ good-for-nothing Akigara is now the head of the Stonecarvers?"

"Akigara is _not _good-for-nothing," Kouseikei replied, automatically coming to his colleague's defense. "But yes, what you heard was fairly accurate. Master Gyokuei passed without having named his successor, and thus the Council had to choose one for him."

"Don't fool me, _Kousei," _Ashikase said, bluntly refusing to address the other young man by his full name. "I may not be too fond of what you artisans are doing in your dens, but even _I _can see that the idiot Akigara's skills are nowhere near as good as _yours. _It's like comparing a lump of coal to the dragon-scale stone that our clan is so fond of!"

"Akigara was skilled enough to be one of the only two novices to have graduated under our master."

"And of course _you _were the other novice to have earned that much-coveted graduation. If not for him, the Council would have had no choice but to give you Gyokuei's post. It _irks _me to see dragons like _him _get such an important position by a mere stroke of _luck, _when there are others clawing -- _fighting _-- to prove their worth."

Kouseikei studied the other young man, frowning more out of concern than exasperation at the increasingly emotional turn this exchange was becoming.

"Everyone in the guild has to fight their way to earn acceptance," Kouseikei said in even tones. "No one is an exception, not even Akigara. But you know as well as I that the Council's word is Law. What was done was done, and I will not tolerate the new Master being mocked in front of me."

The two young dragons locked their ebony eyes. Ashikase was silent for a while, no doubt trying to come up with a rebuttal to Kouseikei's last statement. However, he changed plans at the last moment, instead moving to pat his fellow Salamence on the shoulder.

"Your train of thought does not suit a Salamence _at all,_ Kouseikei. But who am I to argue with a dragon who wants to remain in the gloom?" He paused before an idea hit him. Before Kouseikei could react, Ashikase quickly dragged him to the window, where the visiting Salamence stepped on the ledge and summoned out his wings. In a heartbeat, Kouseikei found himself standing on thin air, held aloft only by the other dragon.

"What do you think are you _doing?!" _Kouseikei demanded, his eyes wide as he observed his house diminishing with each strong flap of Ashikase's wings. "You know too well that I cannot fly!"

Ashikase ignored his protests.

"Well, if you're so aware of that, stop struggling!" he snapped. When the other dragon continued to resist, Ashikase growled and bared his teeth. "You wouldn't want to fall out of the sky, would you, _Kousei?"_

And so Kouseikei had no choice but to remain still as Ashikase continued to fly. The stronghold of their clan was becoming smaller and smaller in the distance, heightening his apprehension.

"You should at least tell me where _under heaven _we are going," Kouseikei said between gritted teeth.

"Oh, you'll --"

At that moment, a bright flash in the sky that didn't come from the sun caused the two dragons to look towards south. At first they thought it was only a trick of light. The natural geography of the mountains sometimes caused the mist to play tricks on the eyes. However, the clouds shifted, and they saw what looked like a dazzling star flitting gracefully through the sky. It traveled along the horizon for a few moments before it suddenly changed direction, moving to fly at a significantly lower altitude, so low that several mountain peaks obscured its path.

"What was _that?" _Kouseikei said softly.

Ashikase was equally perplexed.

"I wouldn't know, but…" He suddenly smirked, making Kouseikei more nervous than he already was. "It's time that we found out."


	2. The Star Maiden

_Author's notes__:_

_This chapter was supposed to be part of Chapter I, but I chose to split it in two because of the length. That aside, enjoy!_

_The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri._

…o0o…

**Part I: Broken Wings**

**Chapter II: The Star Maiden**

_'Oh gods, what did I _ever_ do to deserve this?'_ Kouseikei's mind screamed. Ashikase continued his flight, this time with a clearer purpose. Lowering the altitude of their elevation, the flying Salamence cut through the thick mountain air to follow the mysterious entity they saw earlier.

"Ashikase," Kouseikei warned him. "We don't have the _slightest _idea what that thing was."

"True," the other dragon replied. "But _that's _precisely why we ought to find out."

And that was that. No amount of convincing on the part of Kouseikei could sway the stubborn resolve of the other youth, but they both knew that whether Kouseikei liked it or not, Ashikase was bound to win in the end. The former had to cooperate, for his life practically hung by a thread held aloft by the other dragon's wings.

They flew really low now, so low that Kouseikei's feet skimmed the tops of the pines which grew abundantly in the region. He muttered a small exclamation of protest to Ashikase, but the other dragon was too busy tracking the extraordinary star to care. The star was moving quite fast, and the captive young man gauged that even a Salamence not being weighed down by carrying his fellow dragon will have a difficult time keeping up with it. Far from giving up, Ashikase continued to chase the entity through the maze of forested granite mountains with the other youth hanging on to him for dear life. It was no small wonder that Kouseikei was more than relieved when the point of light descended to rest upon a quiet valley, its light extinguished. The worst was finally over, or so he thought.

It took some time for Ashikase to alight quietly on one of the high cliffs surrounding the small but deep body of water, pulling back his blood-red wings into his back. The assurance that he could soon feel firm ground beneath his feet enabled Kouseikei to breathe considerably easier. At that same moment, they heard the soft sound of splashing water. Ashikase crouched down near the lip of the cliff, roughly pulling the more reluctant dragon to do the same beside him. He motioned that they should keep their eyes on the scene below them. Kouseikei frowned slightly. The trees at the water banks blocked a portion of the spring from their view.

_'The light had gone,' _he thought. _'But I'm quite sure as Ashikase that it went here...'_

His thoughts were abruptly cut off when he saw just _what _made the splashing sound from earlier. The acute vision of the dragons caught sight of an unmistakably feminine figure making ripples on the clear blue of the spring as she swam in it. The water cloaked most of her form, but it didn't take much to realize that she was clad in nothing but her long hair -- a gleaming dark purple mass which appeared as liquid as the water itself, hanging loosely down her back without a trace of an ornament. She turned her head slightly to the side, and a glimpse of her face was enough to make Ashikase's jaw drop. The star had become a woman.

"Kouseikei, why on earth don't we have women as beautiful as _that _in our clan?"

The Salamence addressed, more nervous than ever, could not think up of a coherent answer to the statement. Instead, he pulled Ashikase away from the cliffside before either of them could see the woman in a manner beyond what laws of decency permitted them.

"Ashikase, we _must _get back," Kouseikei whispered between gritted teeth. _"This _is pointless. We cannot let our work stray just for _one _female..."

Ashikase violently pushed the other dragon's hands away.

"If you so badly want to return, then why _don't _you?" he hissed. Kouseikei flinched slightly and looked around him. The cliff on which they stood was high and steep, unscalable with what meager resources a flightless dragon could produce. Ashikase could simply leave him effectively stranded there, and thus Kouseikei knew he had to bargain wisely.

Apparently reading the disabled dragon's thoughts, the other Salamence smirked.

"I presume you now see, my _friend, _that we are staying here until we get _your _business done."

_"Business?!" _Kouseikei demanded, but Ashikase clamped his hand over the other dragon's mouth, muffling the single word.

"Be a little quieter, fool! I won't have you spoiling --"

Another splash came to their ears, causing both youths to stop and listen as to whether they were discovered. When no word of challenge came up, Ashikase took in a deep breath before glaring at his captive.

"Like I said," he continued, "I won't have you spoiling the show."

Kouseikei wrenched the other dragon's hand from his mouth.

"What do you want, Ashikase?" he replied. Although livid, Kouseikei managed to keep his voice down. _"Business? _As far as I am concerned, my role _is _and _had always been _restricted to the Halls of the Artisans ever since _that _time. I am not cut for spying on other people, even if the subject in question is just a woman --"

_"Just _a woman?" Ashikase said, cutting him off. His voice was dangerously soft, unconsciously causing the hairs at the back of his fellow youth's neck to stand up. "You yourself have seen that _that _woman in the pool right now is no ordinary female."

"She _is _beautiful, I will give her that. But I'll have you know that I am more concerned with getting back to my normal duties than attempting to form a deeper impression of her. I _still _do not see your point."

_"My _point is," Ashikase countered, pointing fingers that bore claws glowing the yellow-orange of an impending draconic attack directly before Kouseikei's eyes, "you are not thinking big enough, _Kousei. _What was _she _before she turned into that woman?"

"No need to threaten me with Dragon Claw," Kouseikei said calmly, quickly pushing Ashikase's hand away. "I am not blind, and neither have I forgotten that it was her star form that led us here."

"Well, it's good to hear that your wits are still about you. So tell me, Kousei... just _what _is that girl?"

"You ask me that question when I don't have the tiniest inkling of the answer."

Ashikase's face contorted into a clear expression of distaste and exasperation.

_"Remember _the stories our dames would tell us when we were just Bagons! _Think, _you dimwitted Psyduck! She could transform into a star and into an inhumanly attractive female. Doesn't that strike you as familiar?"

Kouseikei forced himself to think, more to put a line on the other Salamence's bickering than anything. _What _could Ashikase be trying to tell him -- or rather, make Kouseikei tell him?

Star and woman.

_'A female who traverses the sky as a star but becomes a woman to walk the earth...'_

To walk the earth.

And bathe in its waters.

Heaven and earth. Sky and water. _What connects them?_

_'How am I to think properly at a time like this?' _Kouseikei thought irritably. _'It's not as if --'_

At the "if," the answer came to him as abruptly as the queer chain of events that brought him to the valley. A look of comprehension spread across his face.

Star.

Woman.

_Star..._

_Maiden._

_"Finally, _you managed to get it," Ashikase said with a relieved sigh, correctly implying the outcome from Kouseikei's expression. In affirmation, he continued, "It seems, Kousei, that we have an agreement that she is a star maiden."

"I won't say she _is _one, but she is probably _like _one," Kouseikei replied. After a short pause, the irritation in his tone returned. "Now what is all of this supposed to prove?"

"There you go with that mind of yours again. Like I said, _remember _the stories. What do the ancients have to say about star maidens?"

Kouseikei sighed, but gave in to briefly narrate the tale, which was secretly one of his favorites.

"It was said that a young hunter came upon a group of celestial maidens bathing in a river. He hid the flying garments of one lady in order to force her to stay behind and become his wife. As time passed, she bore him a child, who paved the way for the star maiden to regain her flying robe and return to the heavens."

_'Leaving behind her husband and her offspring,' _Kouseikei finished in his mind.

Ashikase nodded slightly in agreement.

"That was slightly different from what I heard, but the nuances were still the same. So getting back to the point, I brought you here to cheer you up. Since you've been brooding like a Dark-type over what happened among your ranks, now is your chance to regain some of your lost honor."

"What lost --" Kouseikei's eyes widened when he realized what Ashikase intended for him to do. _"No, _Ashikase. How will being a thief of women's clothes bring back all that I have lost?"

"Don't be such a Slowbro, Kousei. A star maiden needs her flying garments to return to the heavens. If you manage to keep them, who knows? You'll have your flight back in no time... with a beautiful wife to match."

Kouseikei had serious doubts about that, but he blushed before he could help it.

"I... I don't need a bride, Ashikase."

"Don't be so coy, my _friend, _for it does not suit you. I may still believe you if you express your wishes to stay single for the rest of your long life, but we _both _know that you've been _dying _to have your flight back after all these years. Consider it a favor from me, Kousei. I'm giving you the floor to have _her _and her flying garments."

"That's generous of you, but I'm afraid I have to turn it down. How could I place my dignity on the line for a mere old wives' tale?"

"Oh stubborn, hard-headed imbecile! You ask too many questions!"

That said, Ashikase unfurled his wings and grabbed Kouseikei, lifting him off the ground once more. He stifled the struggling Salamence's protests with his hand while he silently ducked behind some tall rocks to see if the star maiden was looking their way. Thankfully, she seemed to be occupied diving to the pool's depths that she didn't notice anything peculiar. Ashikase quickly descended into the valley, taking advantage of a downdraft that caused the pines to rustle. So far, so good.

Ashikase stepped down behind the crescent-shaped grove of thick pines clustered at the base of the cliff from where they came. Kouseikei kept still, more out of fear of being discovered by the woman in the spring than of willingness to cooperate.

"All right, Kouseikei," Ashikase whispered close to his ears. "Put all your skills in stealth to good use."

Kouseikei shook his head at once, grabbing the other dragon's wrist to make him release his mouth from the gag.

"We don't even know what other powers that lady could have," Kouseikei retorted quietly. "What if she fights back -- or worse -- the moment she realizes her clothes are gone?"

"You won't have to worry about that if you don't get caught. Live the _myth, _Kousei. Hide her flying garments and act innocent afterwards!"

"I am _not _doing it."

"Oh _yes, _you will," Ashikase hissed, meeting his fellow dragon eye-to-eye. "Don't think I _can't _leave you here alone. That would be a shame, because you cannot take to the sky, and the _only _other way out of this place is the break right across the bank from where we now stand."

Kouseikei's eyes flitted around and saw the truth in Ashikase's statements. The only part of the spring that wasn't enclosed by cliffs was the mountain cleft to the east -- right across where they were. As if that wasn't bad enough, the water banks facing that portion were totally devoid of trees and large boulders. One cannot pass without being seen by a bather in the spring.

"I doubt you'd like to waste any more of your precious time," Ashikase continued. "And neither will that star maiden keep to the waters forever. Get yourself moving, _lover boy, _and play the part of the hunter in your story!"

He gave Kouseikei a strong push, sending the other Salamence stumbling out of the inner safety of the pine grove. Kouseikei managed to scramble behind a boulder in time; for a split second, he thought the woman had heard and seen him. Cursing a little in his mind, the young dragon took in several deep breaths to steady his nerves. He paused to glare at the smirking Ashikase, who continued to watch inconspicuously among the trees. From the corner of his eyes, Kouseikei saw that thanks to a stroke of luck, he was within reach of the spot where the maiden had laid her robe.

_'Grab the darn thing and get this over with!' _his immediate train of thoughts said. Kouseikei stole a glance at the young woman in the spring. He looked back at Ashikase, who was thumping one foot impatiently on the ground. Kouseikei looked at the woman again. She was looking the other way, but Kouseikei still did not take advantage of the moment to carry out the improper deed. He may continue to retain doubts if she was a _real _star maiden, but whether she turned out to be one or not, he couldn't bring himself to violate such a beauty.

A pinecone hit him at the side of the head, scattering his thoughts. The force wasn't strong enough to knock him out, but Kouseikei narrowed his eyes the source of the offending object. Ashikase was lazily turning another pinecone in his hands, no doubt ready to launch it at the other dragon when he saw fit. Kouseikei felt his patience wearing thin.

Ashikase's lips began to synch a silent word. Fury began to bubble up inside Kouseikei.

Coward.

The other dragon was labeling him a coward.

_'How dare you...'_

His actions driven by frustration at the situation than anything, Kouseikei shut his eyes tight and grabbed the pile of garments from the roots of the tree in one clean sweep. Thus, he barely had time to see Ashikase's grin of triumph before the youth sprang up to the air in flight. He intentionally made a loud racket in the grove as he escaped, causing fear and alarm to overwhelm Kouseikei. With the young woman's clothes in tow, Kouseikei hurriedly crawled back to hide among the trees.

_'Damn you, Ashikase. Get back here!'_

But the other Salamence had already flown away, leaving Kouseikei to shoulder all the blame in the awkward situation. To make things worse, the sound of wings didn't miss the young woman this time. From where Kouseikei struggled to camouflage himself, he heard her gasp of dismay. She had discovered the theft.

Kouseikei discerned the sound of water hitting the rocks. The maiden gingerly stepped out of the spring, wrapping her long hair about her nakedness as she approached the place where she had left her clothes. Worry was etched on her face; she was as panicked as he.

She searched in vain for her robe near the shore. Her eyes were on the verge of tears, and for the first time, she spoke.

"Please, if you have my clothes... return them. I can't... I can't leave without them."

She looked around as she said her words, unsure if she was heard. Her pleading tone caused the paralyzing fear in Kouseikei's heart to slowly melt away. Her unclothed form did not stir any earthly feelings of passion in him; whereas other men would have felt lust, Kouseikei felt only pity and guilt.

He glanced at the bundle of clothes that was the source of all the trouble. The young dragon saw nothing magical about the cloth despite it feeling finer than any garment he had ever worn. Her flying ability was not restricted by the robe, it seems; she wanted it back more on the grounds of maintaining her dignity. Indecision, however, was difficult for Kouseikei to overcome. Although his conscience begged him to swallow his pride and hand her garments back, a fragment of him continued to fear the outcome. He could imply that the woman was unlike anything he had ever encountered before, and amidst her helpless-looking facade he didn't put it past her to try to kill him for what he had done. As far as Kouseikei knew, it was perfectly fine for dragonesses among his kin to act like that.

...o0o...

Dialga decided that he had rested long enough. He stood up and dressed himself in his everyday garb, which consisted of a predominantly royal blue robe with sky blue trimmings and some light armor including a silver chest plate holding in place the blue diamond that spoke of his power as the Overseer of Time. After putting on a silver circlet that perfectly framed the sides of his face with what appeared to be sleek-looking prongs, the Time Deity slowly slid the door of his chambers open and stepped out. He frowned when he noticed that the door to his older sister's rooms, which were just adjacent to his, was slightly open. Didn't Palkia tell him that she will be away for most of the day?

_'It's so unlike of Palkia to forget something as trivial as closing the door behind her. Maybe I ought to --'_

The train of his thoughts was cut short when he caught sight of an intruder in his older sister's chambers. Moving fast, Dialga pushed the door wide open and confronted the surprised figure of a magenta-haired girl who looked a few years younger than him and Palkia.

"Mesprit!" Dialga lectured with a disapproving tone. "I should have _known _you're attempting to try on Palkia's dresses without her permission _yet again..."_

The Goddess of Emotion quickly stepped out of the pale purple robe with a defensive smile on her face.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, big brother," she said, clumsily folding the cloth and placing it into a neat pile with their older sister's crown and pearl armlets. "I was just... erm, checking if the dress had any wrinkles to smooth out! If big sister sent a distress signal to me requesting for an emergency change of clothes, why should I settle for anything less than her prettiest robes?"

"Just checking if it had any wrinkles to smooth out, huh? As if you could convince -- wait, _WHAT?!" _Dialga's eyes widened considerably upon turning over the last part of his younger sister's statement in his mind. "You mean Palkia sent a _distress signal?!"_

"No need to be so alarmed, brother. She claimed that her clothes suddenly went missing while she was taking a bath, so --"

"Give me that!" Dialga exclaimed, grabbing the set of clothes from Mesprit. "Where did she tell you she was? _Tell me,_ Mesprit, so I can find her at once!"

...o0o...

The silence between the dragon and the lady seemed endless as neither attempted to make a further move to discover the other. Kouseikei bit his lips and sighed dejectedly.

_'Oh Lord Rayquaza, may she understand that I didn't... I _didn't _wish for this to happen...'_

Then, the color of the Salamence's eyes changed slightly as determination began to replace the indecision. Taking a deep breath, Kouseikei held her robe against his chest and readied his apology.

_'Might as well do _something _right for the day and apologize to her...'_

But barely had Kouseikei gotten up from his crouched position when his surroundings suddenly became illuminated by a blue light. He squinted and struggled to see what was happening from his cover of pine needles. The very fabric of reality appeared to warp and twist as a portal manifested before the lady, who remained calm despite the strangeness of it all. A distinctly humanoid form slowly emerged from the gate, and suddenly --

Kouseikei nearly jumped when the young woman let out a high-pitched shriek, diving back into the waters. A tall young man about her age stood where she just sat a few moments before. His hair was as blue as hers was purple, but aside from that and several other obvious differences one can see that they strongly resembled each other. Kouseikei's jaw dropped. _Where had he seen that man before?_

"Dialga!" the woman screamed, her cheeks tinted by a bright red blush. She swam away from him, keeping her hands crossed over her chest. _"What are you doing here?!"_

The blue-haired man frowned in response.

"What the hell are _you_ doing, Palkia?! You called for assistance, so why do you run away the moment it had appeared before your very eyes?!"

"It was _Mesprit _I called, not _you!"_

"You trust _Mesprit _to give you help at a time like this?!"

Hearing the familiar legendary names being uttered back and forth between the two otherworldly beautiful beings almost caused Kouseikei's heart to stop beating. _It can't be... The woman... The star maiden whose clothes he stole... was none other than the Overseer of Space herself. _It was as though the world suddenly collapsed around him, and the young dragon would have gladly given _anything _for a way out of the situation.

Palkia hid her face in her hair and turned away from her brother, tears of shame running down her face. Dialga's previously stern countenance softened considerably at the sight of his sister's tears.

"There now, sis," he called to her a lot more gently. "It's all right; I promise I won't look at you while you dress. I will keep watch to make sure no one will disturb you, so please come back here."

He carefully laid down a set of clothes by the spring and true to his word, he turned to face away from the water. As Palkia cautiously swam back to the shore and began to put the new robes on, Kouseikei caught the glint of broadswords partially drawn from the sheath grasped in her brother's hands. Dialga looked about carefully, the gaze of his ruby eyes threatening and furious. The mortal dragon shivered involuntarily.

"I am astonished anyone would _dare_ do something like this to you," the God of Time said. "Permit me to find the culprit for you, sister. I will make sure only ashes will be left of him for this despicable deed."

"Oh hush, Dialga," Palkia said as she wrapped the rich silks about her. "This was partly my fault, so let them go. I should not have let my guard down in the first place."

"But _still, _you did _not _deserve that treatment."

Palkia finished slipping a pair of pearl armbands over her ankle-length sleeves. Her new outfit was worlds above the simple one she just wore a couple of hours ago. Her dress was pale purple with a water design at the hem, and around her waist was a dark corset featuring a pattern resembling the ripples on a sandbar. A graceful drape of violet strips hung loosely about her hips, held in place below her right waist by an unusual ornament of shell and pearl. A train showing an elaborate brocade of a sea dragon spread out behind her, worthy of her status as the Lady of Space. After placing a crown patterned after an open lotus blossom on her hair, she gently placed a hand on her taller sibling's shoulder.

"Please let them go, Dialga," she repeated. "I acknowledge my share of the blame, but if it makes you happier, you have my word that I will not let this happen again. Let us go home, little brother."

Dialga stood unmoved for some time, but after a few more reassuring words from Palkia he acquiesced with much reluctance. He smiled slightly, however, when his older sister moved to embrace him as thanks for bringing her clothes. The Time Deity hugged the Space Goddess back, fondly patting her hair in a sibling-like manner.

"If only I had agreed to go with you, Palkia, this wouldn't have happened."

Palkia parted from him slightly, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Oh really, Dialga? Would you have agreed to _this?" _At her last word, she drew a bit of water from the spring and splashed it playfully on her brother's face. The Time God stood transfixed by surprise for a brief moment before he smirked and quickly stooped over the body of water to splash an equivalent amount at his sister. Palkia covered her face with her hands, her eyes merry with laughter.

"Did you think I could not touch _water,_ sis?"

"Oh, but brother dear, you ought to have remembered that water was my _primary _element at least."

"Well, would you want me to shower you with needles? I don't think you'd want that either, hah."

The two siblings continued their lighthearted banter for a few more minutes before they rose up to the sky together, conjuring a portal through which they entered to return to their dimensions that few mortals have yet seen. From the grove of pines, Kouseikei continued to clutch the Lady of Space's stolen robe in his arms. Consternation at the unusual turn of events prevented him from stepping out and trying to catch one last glimpse of the God of Time and his lovely sister before they disappeared into the unknown.

...o0o...

_Gee, I really gotta thank those who found the tiny Freudian slips I made in this chapter. I really owe you a lot; you know who you are!_


	3. The Unwinding of the Thread

_Author's notes:_

_I'm going through a pretty difficult period as this story is unfolding, but I'll do my best to keep on writing. After all, I've been relying on my creative side to keep my sanity intact. This chapter contains more descriptions than conversations, so be prepared._

_The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri._

…o0o…

**Part I: Broken Wings**

**Chapter III: The Unwinding of the Thread**

It was a greatly disheartened Kouseikei who returned to his clan's stronghold just as the sun was about to set behind the mountain crests ringing their domain. It had taken him the whole day to find his way back, for he was hindered both by the difficulty of the terrain and the heavy guilt in his heart. As far as the young Salamence knew, the latter factor was much more effective in slowing his progress than the former.

Kouseikei wordlessly made his way into the gates. The sentries guarding each side of the passageway looked at him briefly from the corners of their eyes before turning away. Several little ones ran past him as he walked. Kouseikei assessed that they were still Bagons because of their tender age.

A winged shadow fell for a few seconds over his form, followed closely by another. Kouseikei squinted upwards and recognized the two flying Salamence, the woman being chased by a young man. Both dragons were no older than Kouseikei.

'_Enzan and Natsubi…'_

After whispering their names in his mind, Kouseikei smiled slightly in spite of himself. It was no secret among the people of the clan that Enzan had been aiming to win Natsubi ever since they had reached the final stage of their evolution. Not a few youths, both male and female, have spent their idle time discussing Enzan's persistent, if not humorous efforts at courting the female Salamence, who still had yet to reciprocate the other dragon's wooing. Kouseikei, for one, was witness to a particularly awkward and widely-publicized moment between the two, in which Enzan had challenged Natsubi to an aerial sparring match with marriage being the ultimate price if she lost. In the end, Natsubi had won, which was no surprise because dragonesses were typically more aggressive than their male counterparts. However, instead of succumbing to defeat, Enzan's persistence only increased after the failed match.

'_But if my eyes haven't failed me, Enzan's efforts seem to be paying off,' _Kouseikei thought, noting the shy smile on the flying dragoness' lips and the noticeably tender way be which she gazed at her potential mate. _'She doesn't seem to want to kill him by now. Will they finally settle down by the end of this moon, I wonder?'_

The daylight dimmed sharply, alarming the young man to get going. Although he knew how to scale the cliff side to reach his abode, it was still wiser to take the route if one's vision was not obscured by darkness – especially if it was a flightless dragon that traversed the path.

…o0o…

Kouseikei took a deep breath before he blew a small flame alight on a candle which he afterwards set inside an earthen lamp, bathing his one-room home in a gentle glow. He had shuttered the window, leaving open only a small crack which allowed a few stars to peep in. He encountered other Salamence aside from Enzan and Natsubi, but thankfully none of them were Ashikase or his lackeys. The last thing Kouseikei wanted was to run into _him_ so soon after the… _incident _in the spring.

The young Salamence sighed. He was the only one from his evolution wandering about with his wings hidden, and the tiny deviation continued to grant him surreptitious glances and snickers whenever his back was turned. Can't they let him off the hook, considering that _everyone _in the stronghold knew precisely the reason behind his behavior?

But Kouseikei understood only too well that _that _was the reason why he was being treated as such. _And _they will never let him forget it.

_'Stop,' _Kouseikei lectured himself. _'Just thinking about _that _will do you no good. You cannot change the past; you cannot travel through time like the Lady Celebi or Lord Dialga…'_

The turn of his thoughts caused Kouseikei's heart to skip a few beats. _Oh heavens, Dialga…_ The Time God's fury at the apparent maltreatment of his older sister was still fresh in the mortal dragon's mind, even though Kouseikei never meant to dishonor Palkia. Had Kouseikei _known _that it was her, he wouldn't have… _never_ would have… even if someone like Ashikase would kill him if he did not…

The young Salamence's line of sight drifted unconsciously to where he had placed the Space Goddess' robe in neat folds. The cloth she wore was simple, and yet it had an unusual fineness to it. Kouseikei was able to hide it within his own clothing without causing any inconspicuous bunching when he made his way back home. He even worried that the rough fibers of his own garments would unintentionally tear the robe into ribbons.

_'Lady Palkia…'_ he thought to himself with sadness, reaching out to gently trace the pattern on the fabric mimicking the ripples of water. Her robe had the cool feeling of water itself.

Kouseikei drew his hand away from the stolen garment, cursing himself for failing to recognize the much-feared Overseer of Space. His hindsight reasoned that his ignorance could be traced to the manner by which the elders did not prioritize teaching the youth about the eldest daughter of Arceus. Despite such reasons, however, Kouseikei found his lack of awareness regarding her identity unforgivable.

Although his clan respected the Legends, they weren't especially devoted to Palkia because their patron was the Sky God Rayquaza, who shared exactly the same typing as the Salamence. He thought of Palkia's beloved people, the dragons of the Kingdra line, and how they took great pride in being the sole dragons to share the Deity of Space's elemental typing. Kouseikei admitted that their pride was justified, because the Salamence clan was continuously jockeying for Rayquaza's favor along with the Dragonite and the Altaria.

Nevertheless, despite the lack of strife between the two, the Salamence and the Kingdra have never been close. Visits of the Sea Dragons to Kouseikei's region were rare indeed, unless a scarcity in the obtainable Dragon Scales – requirements for Kingdra evolution – drove them to seek the aid of their mountain-dwelling neighbors. Kouseikei thought that the lack of diplomacy among the two clans was a big disappointment, because he would have wanted to be given the opportunity to view the sea with his own eyes one day.

Driving his long-held dreams from his mind, Kouseikei returned his thoughts to the Spatial Overseer. Palkia may not be a patron of the Salamence, but she was still a goddess who deserved respect. Furthermore, it had often been whispered among his people that Palkia, as a dragoness, was feared even by her own Time-controlling brother, who was a dragon himself. Kouseikei may have seen the more affectionate side of the Space-time dragons' relationship back in the spring, but he was taking no chances. An impertinent fool who stole the Spatial Goddess' clothes cannot elude punishment for all time.

_'I should give her back what was hers... and not only that.'_

The mortal man moved to the corner of the room where he kept his most guarded possessions under a floor tile, which was in turn hidden by an old plain rug that had been some weaver's first attempt at the craft. Kouseikei pushed the rug away from the tile and lifted the hard rectangle from the floor. From the dim hole he carefully lifted a plain box made of pine wood. After replacing the tile and the rug back in place, the young Salamence took the box to where the lamp will allow him a better look at its contents, which had a far greater value than their holder.

Kouseikei opened the lid of the wooden container, letting the lamplight shine upon the exquisite trinkets nestling in soft cloth within. Six small carvings there were, and each was fashioned into three wing-like vanes connected by a hollow circle. Although each piece was less than two inches in length, they carried the beauty of the stone that they were made of.

The young dragon lifted one of the carvings from its nest and examined it in the soft light. He knew every groove of the trinket, for he was its maker. Through the tradition that required everyone from the Salamence line to be well-versed in battle skills to be in the final evolution ceremony, Kouseikei was an adept fighter in his own right. But through his personal fascination with the work of his late master Gyokuei as well as the old man's own fondness for the young apprentice, he was also a skilled stonecarver – a path that he chose to take, and _would _have been forced to take after the mishap that cost him his flight.

Kouseikei lovingly ran a finger over the wing carving's smooth grooves before putting it back into the box. The Salamence, as a warrior clan, did not look too highly upon dragons that chose to specialize as artisans, but the stonecarvers were tolerated and even modestly admired because they were the sole select individuals who could work with the rare organic gemstone the people had called dragon-scale stone, which was highly valued by the clan. The dragon-scale stone was aptly named because its finest samples show a distinct pattern resembling dragon scales, apart from an outstanding sheen comparable to mother-of-pearl.

The samples in Kouseikei's keeping were of the rarest and most valuable specimen. Dragon-scale stone commonly came in colors of blue-green and red, the signature color of the most warlike of dragons. Kouseikei's carvings, however, were of the palest purple, with darker veins of violet running along its design. He had obtained the stone by chance while hiking in the mountains. Back then it was just a fragile-looking slab no bigger than his two palms laid side by side, and hardly any thicker than several sheets of hard paper glued together. Kouseikei had refined and sculpted that featureless stone in a manner that enhanced their natural beauty, and he went further to encase them in a thin sheet of clear crystal cut specifically to their shape, ensuring their strength.

The Salamence smiled a little, reliving those vivid memories. It was an unusually hot summer that dried many of the minor streams in the mountains. Although it spelled trouble for the lowland farmers, it was a perfect chance to search for dragon-scale stones. Kouseikei, due to his impaired flight, had to do his prospects on foot. The other apprentice stonecarver second to him in skill, Akigara, had already obtained a classic sample of the rare gemstone days before. Kouseikei remembered trekking to the valley where the stones were usually found, and how frustrated he was because he found none despite a whole day of carefully surveying the terrain and turning rocks over.

He was pitifully thankful that his part Dragon-typing gave him high tolerance of the otherwise unbearable sunlight, but just as he was walking back home beside a gentle incline, the parched soil gave way beneath him and took him down a dry stream bed. After not a few moments of cursing, Kouseikei slowly made his way back up to the path. He almost slid back down to the stream bed, too, when he stepped on a loose rock that crumbled under his weight. However, just as he reached the spot where the road collapsed, he caught sight of a gleaming piece of ground that the landslide had exposed. And thus he found the stone that would become his magnum opus.

Kouseikei took a large piece of plain paper made out of tree bark and carefully placed Palkia's robe at its center. He folded the paper around the robe into a neat package which he bound shut with some twine. He positioned the box of the wing carvings over the bundle before he moved to prepare himself for bed. He needed sleep, for it had been a long day.

Just before he put out the flame of the lamp, he also remembered how the master Gyokuei had remarked that the sample he obtained resembled mother-of-pearl more closely than stone. How honored Kouseikei had been when Gyokuei allowed him to keep the beautiful thing despite his lack of rank! Going with the recurring motif of their clan, he had carved them into wings, albeit in a more graceful form than a Salamence's sharp-edged wings. They in turn became his passage to graduation, and he was highly praised, if not scrutinized, for his work.

His late master had joked that the small but nonetheless excellent sculptures would be more than enough bride-price for a woman should Kouseikei decide to marry, but the young man had laughed bitterly at the thought. He was a Salamence who could not fly. No woman among his kin would ever have him, even if he had the most precious of the dragon-scale stone to offer.

He wouldn't be able to use the beautiful carvings for his own benefit, either way… because he had already decided that they rightfully belonged to the Goddess of Space.

…o0o…

Several days after his encounter with the Spatial Overseer at the spring, the young Salamence journeyed to one of her satellite temples bearing her clothes and offerings for her forgiveness. He would have wanted to return her garment much earlier, but he had to make up for his one-day absence in the stonecarvers' guild. Although Kouseikei had already graduated and was technically free to practice his trade on his own, old loyalties were not to be so easily broken. As a rule, the artisans were very protective of their work, and equally selective of those who were bound to carry their secrets to the next generation. Besides, with such a serious handicap in the eyes of his fellow Salamence, Kouseikei truly doubted if anyone will try to look beyond the matter of his wings and patronize him. His late master had tried his best to make the young stonecarver's outstanding skill known among their patrons, but now that Gyokuei was dead, Kouseikei could only hope for the best.

Kouseikei left before dawn, for he knew that the nearest of Palkia's temples to the Salamence stronghold was located at a place at the foot of the mountains where many waterfalls gathered and fed several major rivers that irrigated the plains. It would be an easy journey -- if one had the privilege of flight or the ability to harness the Water element. Kouseikei possessed neither, and thus he had no choice but to take the longer land-based route that involved passing through thick forests notorious for their populations of Poison-types. He had prepared a sufficient stock of antidotes for the purpose, but thankfully for Kouseikei, the intimidating aura that marked his warlike draconic heritage remained with him. The presence of a Salamence, winged or not, was enough warning for the forest inhabitants to keep away.

The temple already had a considerable number of visitors by the time Kouseikei reached its boundaries, and not a few people were queuing to express their petitions to the woman in charge of maintaining the sacred place. While he waited for his turn to meet with the priestess, he took the time to stroll on the grounds of the shrine. He had never been to any temple dedicated to the Goddess of Space before, and he eagerly took in the sights like an awestruck child.

The layout of the complex was in the form of four wide concentric rings. The innermost and smallest circle was slightly more elevated than the others and housed the temple – a small but nonetheless striking structure bearing a single tower shaped like an unopened bud of a lotus. The succeeding ring and the outermost one were ponds that abound with lotus blossoms, both in bloom and otherwise. The ring located between the ponds was land that was covered with grasses kept short and several clusters of trees that naturally tapered to the sky instead of spreading their branches outwards.

To reach the temple from the outside, six gently sloping ramps extended out of the innermost circle like rays which split the three remaining rings into six evenly-spaced sections. Carved on the surface of the ramps were constellations and various other interstellar entities, although the pounding of many generations' worth of devotees' feet had worn away a significant amount of the detail once present in the stone. Combined with a backdrop of numerous waterfalls, the place evoked a sense of gentle serenity that formed a sharp contrast with the stern facade of the mountains from where Kouseikei came from.

A young girl-child wearing the outfit of an initiate priestess came rushing to him, telling Kouseikei to quickly enter the temple. It was finally his turn to be received by the priestess of the shrine.

The inside of the temple was dark, but the darkness only served to emphasize the splendor of the glowing crystals adorning the walls and the ceiling. The crystals were also arranged into constellations in the manner of the carvings on the outside ramps, but precisely because they gave off their own light it was easier to think of them as stars. At the very center of this beautiful and unusual setting was a pale marble statue no doubt attempting to recreate the Goddess of Space herself, with actual rubies on her eyes and pearls on her carved armlets.

_'This does not do her justice,' _Kouseikei remarked in his mind, knowing from personal experience that Palkia was far more beautiful than how the effigy portrayed her to be. He, however, kept silent so as not to disturb the sanctity of the setting.

The priestess looked up from where she knelt, holding the fragrant bowl of incense that she was offering up to the statue of the goddess. Upon noticing that Kouseikei had arrived, she extended a hand to the Salamence, motioning for him to sit before her. Kouseikei obeyed and lowered himself on the stone ground before the altar where Palkia's image stood, setting the packages he carried beside him.

"What brought you to this sanctuary, young man?" the kindly priestess asked. Although an old woman from a Water-type tribe Kouseikei couldn't recognize, she still boasted the voice and eyes of a female younger than her years. No doubt, her memory was still sharp and she can tell that he was just a new face in her goddess' temple.

"I..." Kouseikei said softly, trying to find the proper words to say. When the words continued to fail him, he gently pushed the package containing Palkia's robe and the box of the dragon-scale stone towards the priestess, hoping she will get the message.

The priestess looked at the objects with curiosity before she looked back at him, asking, "Are you offering these as gifts to the Lady Palkia?"

"Y-yes," the young dragon answered, bowing slightly. "Those are gifts that I owe her."

The old woman nodded a little, reading his honesty.

"Your sincerity shines through, young man. However, I would like to ask for your permission to inspect the offerings with my own eyes, for the sake of the Pearl of the Legendaries for whom they will be given."

Kouseikei fidgeted uneasily. He would rather have no other living soul see that he used to possess the robe that belonged to the Spatial Overseer, but the priestess' request was a strictly-practiced procedure. The mediums needed to ensure that the deity they represented wouldn't be disgraced by the offerings. Even the mages at the shrine of Rayquaza would have done the same thing.

After taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Kouseikei said, "You have my full consent, my lady."

And so, time appeared to slow down as the priestess began her inspection. She opened the pine box first, and Kouseikei caught the visible glimmer of surprise in the old priestess' eyes when she saw its contents. However, she said not a word and just closed the lid to carefully undo the string that bound the other package. Kouseikei looked away and shut his eyes tightly when the old woman finally set her eyes on the extraordinary cloth of the deities, praying despite all odds that she would not notice his shame or his guilt. He tensed when he heard her voice again, expecting the worst of reprimands. The priestess' words, however, were gentle.

"Are these of your own making?"

"Th-the carvings in the box are, my lady. The cloth, however, was just... entrusted.... to me so it can be... given to the Lady Palkia."

_'Ah, may the Lady Palkia have mercy on me!' _Kouseikei added in his mind, wondering if he can keep his composure long enough until the priestess was finished with her appraisal.

"Why the look of shame, my child?"

Kouseikei blinked his eyes open and glanced confusedly back at the priestess.

"I beg your pardon, my lady?"

The old woman chuckled slightly at the young dragon's naïve outlook.

"Did you think, son, that your gifts would fall short of being worthy of the Goddess of Space?" she asked thoughtfully, refolding the paper over the robe and tying the twine over it once more. "I assure you, I have never seen such commendable works of art all my life, and the fact that you have decided to offer it up to the Lady makes you even more admirable. You..." The priestess paused, looking at him in the eye. "You're a son of the Salamence, aren't you?"

Kouseikei was more confused and afraid than ever. He may be wearing the traditional outfit and headdress of his clan despite the lack of wings, but what has _that _got to do with _anything?_

"I beg your pardon for my rudeness," the old priestess said, noticing that he had grown uncomfortable with the way their meeting was going, "but it was extremely rare for one of your kin to show such dedication to the Lady Palkia, and you are the first of your evolutions to step in this temple for many a long while. This is why I would like to ask for your name. The Lady will be very pleased with you, and you deserve the most proper of acknowledgements."

_'The Lady Palkia... _pleased... _with me? That will _never_ happen... Not after what I did to her...'_

"My lady has not an inkling of how honored I am," Kouseikei said, bowing low to the ground, "but may she understand that... that this Salamence would much prefer that his identity remain hidden. The fact that the gifts will soon be safe at the company of the Lady is sufficient to make me feel at ease, and there is no need for her to know from which mortal hand they came from."

The old priestess was silent for some time, but finally she raised Kouseikei up from the ground. When he saw her face again, she was smiling.

"If that is your wish, child of the Dragon, then I shall let it be," she said, placing a weather-beaten hand on his shoulder. "Your visit here has not been in vain, and your offerings will be in Lady Palkia's hands before dawn tomorrow. This perhaps concludes our meeting... unless you have other matters to petition to the Lady."

"Thank you, lady priestess. I'm afraid that this is all I have to do here. I don't want to give Lady Palkia more burdens when she already has greater matters in her keeping. Just…"

At his sudden breaking off, the priestess tilted her head to the side, a quizzical expression on her face.

"Just what, son?"

Kouseikei sighed. He hoped Palkia would understand.

"Just… tell the Lady that I am genuinely sorry for what I've done."

...o0o...

Now that a great load was lifted from his shoulders, Kouseikei reasoned that he should feel lighter at the heart. However, instead of lightness, it was a heavy feeling, a kind of emptiness that descended upon him as he walked out of the temple. What was _this?_ He couldn't understand. Why should he feel so unhappy now that Palkia's robe could finally be returned to her?

_'This may be because I have given up my most precious creations for her. They were like a part of me... it's only natural that I feel like something's missing now that they're gone. I wouldn't regret giving them to her, though. Not ever.'_

His parting from the works that he had poured his greatest skills into must be the cause. Yes, it _must_ be. He had only seen Palkia in person for a few minutes – hours, at most – and her robe was with him for only a few days. He knew the dragon-scale stone more than he knew the Goddess of Space. This all had _nothing_ to do about her.

_But does his sadness have nothing to do about her, really?_

For the last time, Kouseikei looked back over his shoulders at the shrine of the Lady of Space. He loathed leaving such a beautiful place so soon, but he knew he could not stay. He had his duties, and besides... Palkia didn't deserve a _coward _like him to remain in her sacred site. Sighing dejectedly, the Salamence turned and resumed his journey back to the mountains... back to reality, and return her image to where it rightfully belonged, at the back of his mind.

...o0o...

_Note__:_

_The dragon-scale stone was based on a real-life organic gemstone known as ammolite. It is one of the rarest gemstones on earth, and is composed of the fossilized shells of ammonites, which have a primary composition similar to pearl. Ammolite's history of usage is obscure, as it did not enter the market until 1969._


	4. The Wings of Shell

_Author's notes:_

_I drew inspiration from the Meteor Falls as shown in Pokémon Emerald to portray the geography and indigenous gijinka populations for this part. This chapter, like the former, is also more descriptive than conversational, but I promise I will get the characters talking in the next installment._

_The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri._

…o0o…

**Part I: Broken Wings**

**Chapter IV: The Wings of Shell**

The shades of night had fallen deeply into the land. After sending the last visitor away from the vicinities of the shrine, the elderly priestess with her young charge keeping close by performed the mandatory nightly chant honoring the emergence of the stars. Lanterns at hand, they slowly walked the perimeter encircling the temple and its ponds and gardens, chanting the well-practiced lines. The streets were empty and reflected off the silver light which shone from the broad band of stars that had appeared to illuminate the ink-black darkness. The steady notes of the women's song sounded eerily amplified by the silence of their surroundings.

The priestess carried the main tune while the little girl sang the descant. As their footfalls echoed off the still night air, a passerby could have sworn that the stars hovering above the temple appeared to glow brighter, rivaling the sheen of a full moon as the ritual proceeded. The song was, after all, the most important of all the prayers that needed to be invoked every single day. The temple complex's sacred status in the eyes of Space was heavily reliant on the chant respecting the stars. The shimmering guardians of the night were among Palkia's most wondrous of creations, and her priestesses must harmonize with the invisible rhythms of the interstellar dance if they wanted to keep their privileged status as her sacred mediums.

The old woman and the little girl completed the circumference of the entire shrine before the last notes of the chant faded off to join the silence of the night. The stars in the sky resumed their gentle twinkling, and the older of the priestesses permitted the young initiate to take a good night's sleep. As the young lass obediently retired to her quarters, the old lady meanwhile ascended a hidden flight of steps to enter the most restricted area of the temple, which was the tower patterned after an unopened lotus bud. She had one final business to fulfill before she went to bed.

The topmost room of the temple was conspicuously bare of adornment compared to the rather elaborately furnished sanctuary which Kouseikei had entered earlier that day. However, what the tower chamber lacked in decoration, it made up in its mystical quality. The chamber was devoid of any windows, and the floor was actually a pool filled with a kind of blessed and sentient water, such that only a Water-type could cross. Even then, the Water-type had to be a consecrated priestess to the Goddess of Space. If such conditions were not met, the deceptively silent waters would encroach upon the hapless intruder and drown him under.

The old priestess took off her sandals and carefully stepped into the waters. The liquid appeared to solidify under her footsteps, enabling her to walk on the surface of the water with the offerings clutched in her arms. In evenly-measured steps, she walked towards the raised shell-and-coral pedestal at the heart of the chamber. Balanced on top of the pedestal was an empty marble basin wide enough for a person to step into.

She laid the packages entrusted to her by the young Salamence at the foot of the pedestal before she stood up to her full height. From the depths of her robes she took a small pinkish pearl wound with fragrant sandalwood beads and prayer tags. Placing the pearl between her fingers which were clasped in prayer, the priestess began to intone the Words of Summoning.

_"May the great one who bridges the water beneath my feet and the spatial entities of the sky hear my prayer."_

Ribbons of mist began to rise from water covering the floor of the room, driven upwards by a nonexistent wind.

_"You, who set the planets into their heavenly orbits and gave the stars the rhythm to which they dance, hear my prayer."_

The mist floated higher into the air. The waters began to shift, each wave assuming a silvery-white glow. The room's ceiling, which was made up of overlapping panels mimicking lotus petals, started to open up in preparation to receive the deity. The stars sparkled like precious jewels set on a dark canvas overhead.

_"Palkia, Overseer of Space, I beseech you. Descend upon this sacred water, and grant us the privilege of your wisdom!"_

In one swift motion, the priestess drew some of the water from the pool and swirled the shimmering torrent into the basin. At once, the starlight converged into a single ray which struck the center of the basin. The old woman closed her eyes tightly and shielded her face from the blinding brightness with her hands. After a few seconds, the water in the basin bubbled and rose, the clear formless liquid morphing into a more definite shape. The priestess blinked and lowered her hands from her eyes to behold the Space Goddess' radiant form standing over the holy basin, the hems of her robes just treading the surface of the water.

"Lady Palkia," the priestess said, bowing deeply before the deity.

Palkia motioned for the old woman to rise.

"It has been a while, Sazanami," the Spatial Overseer said kindly, addressing her priestess by name. "May I inquire for what reasons have I been summoned?"

The priestess Sazanami wasted no time retrieving the packages containing the exquisite cloth and unusual carvings from where they lay at the base of the pedestal. She presented the wing-like trinkets to Palkia first, and she was gladdened to see the Deity of Space look at the young Salamence's work with genuine interest, if not admiration. Didn't the old priestess tell the humble youth that Palkia will be very pleased with what he had to offer?

Sazanami then undid the knots of the other parcel. Reverently taking the robe out of its wrapping, she held it out to the Spatial Overseer, praying that it will pass the final test like the first gift.

Little did she know, it had already passed even before she had shown it to the goddess.

It took a lot of self-control for Palkia to hide her surprise at the unexpected return of her stolen robe. Careful to keep her facial expression neutral, she looked closely at the workmanship and patterns of the cloth to make sure that it was the same robe that disappeared when she bathed in the mountain spring. The embroidered lotuses which were her emblems... the stenciled bands of water ripples... she could deny it no more. Thanks to an anonymous person, the robe somehow managed to find its way back to her.

Sazanami misinterpreted Palkia's lack of response as a form of disapproval.

"I beg your forgiveness, my lady," the old woman said, touching her forehead to the bit of solid ground at the base of the pedestal. "My goddess has my word that I shall accept none other than the best from her devotees..."

Palkia snapped out of her thoughtful silence to quickly assure her priestess that all was fine.

"No, no. You misunderstood me, Sazanami, so I apologize for the fright I have caused you. Truly I tell you, I am extremely honored to receive such gracious gifts." As far as Palkia can see, Sazanami was unaware of the true value of the robe. Choosing her next words well, she continued, "If I may ask, from whom did these gifts come, especially the robe, so I can thank the generous souls personally?"

The elderly priestess stood up and explained, "Ah, Lady Palkia. Both gifts came from the same person! He claimed to have made the wings of shell, in fact."

This new bit of information baffled the goddess. She glanced at the wing trinkets nestling within the box of wood. Although she kept short on words, privately she was very impressed and intrigued by the beautiful carvings. Palkia was unsure of what they were made of, but they looked very much like mother-of-pearl to her. Perhaps it _was _mother-of-pearl; she hadn't seen a gemstone that could actually match the luster of her signature jewels as this one. However, the fact that the trinkets and her stolen robe were offered by the same person added a new mystery to the already enigmatic carvings.

"I asked the giver for his name so my lady will be able to do exactly as she said," Sazanami added apologetically, "but he courteously refused. He said that it was enough thanks for him that his offerings are safely given to your hands."

_'So he didn't want me to find out,' _Palkia thought. _'It's not as if I don't understand why, though.'_

"I see," the Goddess of Space said with a bit of disappointment. "Very well, I will honor his wish and I will not inquire about him from you any longer. But Sazanami, should he come back, please do tell him that he has nothing to be afraid of me. I still wish to thank him, if he will only allow me that privilege."

Sazanami bowed to acknowledge the order.

"You have my word, Lady Palkia."

"Thank you, my loyal priestess. Now if there are other matters you need to tell me of..."

"Oh, this is all there is, my lady. I hope you didn't find your visit a waste of your time."

"Don't think too much about it." Palkia winked as she said her next sentence. "After all, Time _is_ my younger brother. I shall return to my father's palace now, if I may."

Sazanami could not help but smile at the way her lady referenced Dialga. Palkia had always wanted her priestesses to feel at ease in her presence even though her rank as Arceus' daughter dictated strict formality on the part of her mortal subordinates.

"You may leave when you wish, Lady Palkia," the old lady said. She was halfway through her bow when she suddenly remembered one thing. "Oh, a thousand apologies, ma'am! There _is _one thing my goddess needs to know before she goes."

Palkia gave the priestess her undivided attention.

"Please do tell me, Sazanami."

A frown creased Sazanami's face slightly as she said, "The man who offered the wings of shell and the wondrous cloth to my lady... he did have one request. It would be to tell the Lady of Space these words: 'I am genuinely sorry for what I've done.'"

Palkia tilted her head to the side, pondering on Sazanami's words.

"He said that he's... genuinely sorry for what he's done?"

The old priestess shrugged, every bit as confused as she looked.

"He didn't say any more, Lady Palkia. I couldn't get an explanation for his words, so I had to let him leave. Forgive me for not being of much help."

"You have done enough. Even more than I expected, I must say. I guess we should just let this matter rest, considering the man's reluctance at revealing his identity. Thank you once again for delivering his gifts to me."

Her priestess gave her final bow of salutation, and Palkia let her form melt back into the sacred water that was used to manifest her corporeal body. The ceiling of the temple tower closed once more into a dormant lotus bud, and her duty fulfilled, Sazanami left the room and walked to her own chambers where sleep beckoned.

…o0o…

Palkia's eyes blinked open. Prior to hearing the call of one of her satellite priestesses, the Space Dragoness was gazing up at the expanse of her creation from the surface of her lotus pond in Arceus' domain. The nebulae and galaxies always shone clear and beautiful in the skies of the Original One's palace, in a manner by which they could never be seen or appreciated from any place on earth. The pond and the aquatic plants populating it were not of the ordinary sort either. Pockets of light shone out of the heart of the blossoms that were open, while those that were still budding acted as living lamps. Like the stars as seen from the earth, they only gave off their light at nighttime.

Sighing gratefully to be home again, the Goddess of Space sat up, her hair and body untouched by dampness despite having lain on water the entire time. The friendly water and her own lotus plants kept her supine body afloat whilst her spirit traveled to respond to the summons of the priestess Sazanami. Palkia had spoken to the old priestess by manipulating the temple water to take the Space Goddess' own form, but her true body remained in her home dimension.

She cradled the cloth of the gods and the box of wing carvings in her arms, occupied with thoughts of the mysterious man described by Sazanami. Whoever he was, there was a great chance that he was the same person who made her robe disappear in the spring. Her own priestess had given strong proof about it when she told Palkia of his final message: _he's genuinely sorry for what he's done._

_What _did_ he do?_

Stealing the Space Dragoness' clothes while she bathed, perhaps?

Palkia refused to brand him as guilty until she had gotten the actual confession in person. Not that it made a difference, anyway. Now that her robes were back in her hands, Palkia was more than eager to forgive and forget him, along with the incident they shared. But there was the matter of his second gift, the wings of shell. Did he ever think that the Deity of Space will be so impressed with his work that she will go out of her way to thank him for it?

Did he ever expect that for the same reason, she will be willing to pass over the fact that he made her experience one of the most embarrassing scenarios in her life?

'If _he was the culprit, that is,' _Palkia concluded in her mind as she stood up. It was well into the night, and even the deities needed their rest. The lotus plants bade their mistress goodnight, setting off a cloud of vapors that looked like liquid light on her path as she walked to leave their midst.

…o0o…

Akigara had entrusted the guild to Kouseikei for the day. The new master explained to the other Salamence that he had to go to an important meeting with other head artisans from the nearby clans of Solrock and Lunatone, and Akigara needed Kouseikei's adept skills to manage the place while he was gone.

"I hope to enlist their help in procuring more of the dragon-scale stone that we specialize in," Akigara told Kouseikei before he left. "It's becoming extremely difficult to find them these days, and you know how Rock-types like the Solrock and the Lunatone have an unusual form of communication with the mountains. I trust that you'll be able to keep the apprentices from slacking off in my absence."

Kouseikei agreed to Akigara's request even though he didn't feel like he was in the right shape to be the stand-in for the Head Stonecarver at that moment. Not that he had much of a choice. He was subordinate to Akigara, and Kouseikei could not risk further hurting his already damaged reputation by obstinately resisting Gyokuei's replacement.

Thankfully, the Stonecarvers only had a handful of apprentices in their care, comprising of four Bagons and one Shelgon. Although Kouseikei's repute preceded him, the apprentices somehow made an effort to conceal their scorn at being headed by a flightless Salamence. Wing-less or not, Kouseikei was still counted among the fully-evolved members of the clan, and from birth Bagons and Shelgons have been taught to show steadfast obedience to a Salamence.

Kouseikei let the apprentices off for the noontime meal after spending the morning drilling them on the correct way to cut the dragon-scale stone. Their stone of specialty was notoriously soft for a gemstone, and great care had to be taken such that the carver did not go against the stone's natural crystalline structure and cause the sample to fracture. Kouseikei himself was guilty of ruining several perfectly fine dragon-scale stones as an apprentice due to a misplaced angle of the blade. Kouseikei had been so mad at himself, but Gyokuei comforted the then-Shelgon, explaining that a Stonecarver's apprenticeship was never complete without breaking a stone due to inexperience.

'_I may not have destroyed a gemstone since then, but I certainly have ruined my life ever since that incident after the evolution ceremony…'_

The young Salamence sighed and massaged his temples with his fingers. He sat on a stool, leaning against the teaching table to get a few minutes of rest. As a medium of instruction, the table had a removable glass covering at the top to protect the layer of sand on which diagrams and figures could be scribed for the benefit of apprentices' eyes. At the moment, the sand was etched with nothing but a latticed figure illustrating the crystal structure of dragon-scale stone. Kouseikei smoothed the sand back into its blank state with the flat side of his knife. The young dragon sat gazing blankly at a nearby shelf housing some carving tools that had grown rusty with disuse or disrepair, unconsciously tracing patterns on the sand with his fingertips.

He was no Psychic, but he wondered if his eyes were looking into his own future.

Kouseikei decided that it was time to go to the common dining hall, even if his lateness meant that he was lucky if there was still a satisfying meal to be had at all. Ah well, he wasn't that hungry anyway. As he placed the flat side of his blade once more against the sand to smooth it out, he almost dropped the knife in shock.

Without even knowing it, he had drawn the figure of a young woman flying among the clouds without the help of wings… a lady with long hair that hung freely behind her… a beauty whose arms were adorned by a pair of bangles, each bearing a priceless pearl.

Upon regaining his senses, Kouseikei quickly and furiously swept at the sand to erase the image, scattering some grains on the floor in the process. What could he be _thinking, _drawing Palkia out of the blue?

'_I must _really _be hungry,' _the Salamence thought to himself, sheathing the knife and walking out of the chamber, thankful that no one else was there to see him in his state of bewilderment.

…o0o…

The same morning that saw Kouseikei assume the post of Head Stonecarver for a day came upon another figure draped in the layers of white mantle cascading from her broad traveling hat of woven river reeds. As she journeyed from one Water-type tribe to another to request for an audience with their artisans, one can catch glimpses of the actual garb she wore beneath the pale curtains. Her blouse consisted of two layers, the inner one a deeper shade of violet than the outer, but she kept them tucked inside her pleated gray trousers which could have passed for a full-length skirt from afar. Over this ensemble she wore a pale purple overcoat that reached her knees, and was decorated on the sleeves and shoulders with a weave featuring a pattern recurring in the crafts of Dragon-type clans, notably among the Kingdra.

It initially felt strange to don the outfit of her priestesses, but Palkia knew that the disguise of a sacred medium doing field work was her best choice at the moment. She had left home early after consulting Uxie regarding the communities of Water-types that took abode near the Space Deity's satellite temple which lay in Sazanami's care. Her younger sister had named off three clans: the Gyarados, the Seaking, and the Whiscash. Although she was unsure, Palkia assumed that the carvings given to her the previous night were most likely the work of a Water-type artisan. They, after all, had good knowledge of the mother-of-pearl that the trinkets seem to be made of. Palkia hoped to find the maker of the wings of shell, or at least a clue to lead her to him, among those who shared her primary typing with her.

She did not tell Dialga of her plans, for the Time Deity was still quite furious about the incident in the spring. If the mysterious source of the trinkets and the thief of her clothes were but one and the same, Palkia didn't put it past her brother to try to slit the throat of the poor mortal before she could get so much a word exchanged with him, whoever he may be.

Her search proved to be far more difficult than she anticipated. Palkia consulted the Seaking first because they were the easiest to reach of the three clans, their village being located near her temple that she visited the night before. When she entered their community, Palkia introduced herself as one of her priestesses to keep her anonymity. The Water-types received her amiably, but none of the Seaking or Goldeen claimed original ownership of the trinkets she possessed. Each possible candidate showed reliable honesty, and Palkia found no reason to doubt them.

The chief of the Seaking artisans further added to her worries that their tribe did not conceal the person she was eagerly searching for. After requesting for Palkia's permission to inspect the trinkets himself, the Water-type had remarked, "Great workmanship on those shells, my lady, and quite graceful. They are, however, vastly different from our standards of grace. In fact, if _that _would be the sole basis of my judgment, I'd say its maker may not be a Water-type at all."

Undaunted, Palkia then sought the artisans of the Whiscash. They lived on a difficult-to-navigate portion of the same river that also sustained the Seaking, but the difference was that the place of the Whiscash was almost always impassable due to its wealth of mud. She did not progress any further with finding the maker of the trinkets among them, but when an apprentice stonemason got into an argument with the master of the trade over the composition of the carvings, a new twist in the mystery opened up a new wave of possibilities.

"I _tell _you, master, that's _not_ mother-of-pearl!" the young Barboach on the verge of evolving had challenged the quick-tempered Whiscash that was their leader.

"What proof do you have, young Whiskers, for you to say such a thing?" the old Whiscash countered.

"It has the sheen, all right, but something's _not right. _The indications are hard to make out, but I'm not backing out from my belief that it's actually a stone of some sort!"

The master and the adamant apprentice continued to argue in technical terms that were incomprehensible to Palkia, and she had to politely excuse herself to continue her journey. What the Barboach had declared was quite radical, but Palkia noted it in her mind should the information come out as useful in the future. Her last stop, among the Gyarados, brought her perhaps the most promising lead she discovered that day.

It took Palkia more time to reach the realm of the Gyarados without utilizing her space-controlling abilities. The branch of the clan living in that region took abode among the violent rapids hidden deep in the valleys of the mountains. The Spatial Overseer didn't expect the Atrocious Ones to be so accommodating to her in her search, but they surpassed her expectations. Upon learning that a priestess to the Goddess of Space was requesting for assistance, the leaders immediately introduced her to the person in their tribe who was knowledgeable in such matters. The male Gyarados welcomed her kindly, and after a while of studying the wings of shell, he brought her attention to the motif of the carvings.

"The wing motif, my lady, has never been very popular among us who live in the waters despite our partial Flying-typing," the warlike Water-type had explained. "Although the odds may seem small, I suggest that you seek out those who take abode in the nearby mountains -- the Salamence clan. _They _are immensely proud of their mastery over the art of flight, and as such the images of wings are recurrent in their crafts. A Water-type like you will have no trouble reaching where they gather. Just follow the river further upstream until you reach a thundering waterfall. From the top of that waterfall you'll be able to see their stronghold from afar, and there are roads that could take you to your destination from that point."

At that mention of the Salamence, another Gyarados decided to enter the conversation.

"Ha, the _Salamence!" _the newcomer said with a derisive laugh."Those arrogant flying salamanders _scorn_ us. We're just Flying-types in name, they say. Or worse, that we assume too much if we want to be numbered among the Dragons! Hmph, as far as _we _know, our tribe has a far wider reach of influence than _them!"_

He must have seen read the shocked expression on Palkia's face, because he immediately attempted to diffuse the situation.

"I beg your pardon for my rant, my lady," he said a lot more calmly. "Even a Gyarados has to admit that a Salamence is a worthy rival when it comes to ferocity in battle. We have had a scattering of clashes in the past, and our seasoned warriors found the Sky Dragons impressive in combat. They're a formidable force to be reckoned with, indeed."

'_The Salamence…'_ Palkia's thoughts repeated the name of the new potential source of the wing carvings. She surveyed the mountains that her advisor among the Gyarados had directed her to, where he said the warlike dragons could be found. _'Could he be…?'_

It was then that she remembered… she _did _hear the sound of wings prior to her discovery of the theft when she bathed. Were they the wings of a Salamence? Could the artisan of the wings of shell be a Sky Dragon? There was only one way to find out.

After thanking the Gyarados for their generosity, Palkia readjusted the drapes on her hat and went on her way.


	5. The Flightless Dragon

_Author's notes:_

_Sorry for the delay; shifting from one course to another is more problematic than one thinks, and there are other things that sidetracked me that I'd rather not go into._

_But at last, the long-awaited meeting of the two main characters! Kouseikei finally gets a decent physical description here, for those who haven't seen my renditions of him in my devART account. And just in case you're wondering what his name means, as well as why the hell he can't fly even though he's a Salamence, a bit of that mystery will be answered in this chapter._

_The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri._

…o0o…

**Part I: Broken Wings**

**Chapter V: The Flightless Dragon**

'_This _has_ to be the waterfall,' _Palkia thought, surveying the thundering body of water that rose majestically before her. She had followed the river upstream, as the Gyarados had instructed her to do. The currents were quite violent, and the boulders scattered on the river bed threatened to crush whatever boat that dared to cross their path. However, being blessed with a Water typing along with her might as the Spatial Overseer, Palkia navigated the rapids with relative ease, choosing to take the path on her primary element than follow the river on its banks. Now that she had reached the waterfall the locals have dubbed the Meteor Falls, Palkia paused to ponder on what action to take. Normally she would simply have warped space to get to her next destination in the shortest manner possible, but now wasn't the time.

'_A shame I cannot utilize the move that allows one to scale waterfalls, but it's not as if I can't improvise.'_

Ignoring the cold splashes of foamy water that deeply drenched her and her garments, Palkia extended her arms to the side and prepared to summon out her weapons. A swirl of a shimmering substance appeared in her hands and briefly glowed a shade of violet before solidifying into a pair of war fans. Sharp blades were concealed in the ribs of the fans to aid in her lethal battle dance, but seeing that there was no immediate threat to her safety, Palkia chose not to call them forth from their hiding places.

Making a powerful slashing motion at the air with her weapons, Palkia harnessed the mighty jets of water to propel her high into the air. She could barely suppress a whoop of triumph as she shot over the waterfall, landing neatly on a smooth rock that rose above the spray. True to what the Gyarados described, she could make out what looked like a series of elaborate structures carved into a mountain peak nearby. To add to her delight, several figures on blood-red wings hovered in the air, clearly reveling in their gift of flight.

She had finally reached the domain of the warlike Sky Dragons, the Salamence.

In a few strides, Palkia managed to step on to the firm ground of the shore. Skillfully drawing away the dampness that clung on to her hair and clothes, she returned the water back to where it originally flowed, thankful for the cooling effect they gave her, before she resumed what was hopefully the final stretch of her search.

…o0o…

The chambers allotted to the Stonecarvers were eerily silent compared to those of the other artisans in the afternoon. The leader of their guild had yet to arrive, and Kouseikei was left with the four Bagon apprentices who were too young to be included in the military training. The other student who was a member of the middle evolution had gone off to join his fellow Shelgons in the fighting ground. The Salamence clan, after all, was governed by a strict code of warriors, and every single dragon had to be skilled in combat such that they could be reliably called on to fight when a battle arose. Consequently, the moment a Bagon was elevated to become a Shelgon, the young dragon would begin honing his or her combat skills in mandatory sessions dictated by the ruling Council, culminating in their evolution into a Salamence if all went well.

Kouseikei withdrew into a cozy inner room reserved for the Stonecarvers who have earned their graduation. He could hear the apprentices conversing with one another as they went about cleaning up their working halls, which was the primary duty of the guild's junior members aside from learning their trade.

"I really envy Seiten-kun," one of the remaining apprentices whispered to the other Bagons. "He's already a Shelgon! Only one more evolution and he could finally fly, while we are still stuck jumping off cliffs trying to catch up with our big brothers and sisters."

"You bet," another said in reply. "We've got to thank Lord Rayquaza that our bones are fortified, or else we would long be confined in the Halls of Healers with shattered skulls."

"You know what I think?" a third Bagon interjected. "It seems you've prayed to Lord Rayquaza too hard, because you're probably the most hard-headed Bagon I ever met! Master Kouseikei told you to put away those carving tools like, _half an hour _ago and they're still lying around here like the lazybones that you are!"

"Oh, darn!"

Kouseikei chuckled slightly at the light-hearted conversation of his young charges. He could recall how he, like them, looked forward to the final evolution ceremony that will enable them to grow the wings which were their ticket to the sky. The Bagons thought very lightly of the training the Shelgons undergo, but Kouseikei knew from experience that the path to becoming a full-fledged Salamence was anything but easy. It normally took a good many years before one could be considered worthy of the final evolution ceremony, and it wasn't a rare case to find members of the clan who were well into middle age and yet still remained in the middle evolution. There were exceptions, of course, for those who had set themselves apart from the rest in skill and ferocity. Such exceptional Salamence were usually tapped to take a position in the Warrior Council for their talents. Kouseikei understood that fully well, because he used to be one of them.

'Used _to,' _Kouseikei stressed in his mind as he sat down on a cushioned chair that he pulled beside an open window. The cool and soothing breeze was making him a bit drowsy, and it won't hurt to take a little nap. Even if it was only for the day, leading the Stonecarvers' guild was no walk among the flowers, and he needed to rest.

Barely had he slept for a few minutes when an apprentice knocking at the door shattered his peaceful slumber.

"Master Kouseikei, the guild has a visitor!"

…o0o…

Palkia took off the traveling hat that had shielded her face for most of her journey. She kept her deep purple hair tied back save for her sidelocks, which she allowed to flow freely and frame the sides of her face. The waiting room was small and simple, but it was well-kept. Although quite bare in furnishings, the lone round table in the middle of the chamber gleamed in the natural light coming in from the windows. The air that entered the room carried the scent of fresh pine and moss. Although earthy compared to the more complex fragrances in the gardens of the Original One, it was a comforting smell.

Palkia laid her headgear on the table and sat on one of the chairs that she pulled from beneath the table, letting the natural smells calm her. She had been directed to this place upon asking the guards at the stronghold's entrance where the clan's stonework artisans could be found. The Space Goddess was quite puzzled by the rather scathing tone the guard Salamence used when he gave her the directions, as though he considered the place an abhorrent address.

Nevertheless, Palkia was thankful that his feelings for the Halls did not alter the accuracy of his directions. She reached the Halls of the Artisans with little trouble, and it didn't take her long to find the sections of the Stonecarvers. She smiled fondly at the little Bagons who met with her, and though she was initially disappointed that the Head Stonecarver was not around, she agreed to meet the other Salamence who was second in authority. The Bagons requested her to stay in the waiting room while they fetched the second-in-command.

Now the only question to be answered was if the artisan of the wings of shell also inhabited the stronghold where she currently searched for him.

…o0o…

"Who is this visitor?" Kouseikei, still a bit grouchy at the untimely wake-up call, asked the apprentice.

"A lady, Master," came the answer. "We told her to stay in the waiting room."

'_A lady?'_

"Have you offered her anything yet?" Kouseikei asked further, perplexed to find out that a woman was knocking at the doors of the Stonecarvers.

"No, we haven't."

"Well, go and prepare some tea. On second thought, ask the kitchens if they have any snacks to spare. You know very well that our late Master Gyokuei would not suffer guests not being treated with hospitality."

While the apprentices quickly worked to fulfill the order, Kouseikei walked to the waiting room where the Bagon said the woman stayed. She was observing the scenery outside the window when he entered, but it wasn't until he closed the sliding door behind him and got a clear view of the lady's countenance did he discover who their visitor was.

'_This isn't happening…'_

She wasn't clad in the glorious robes that speak of her true rank, but he recognized her just the same. He will _never _make that same mistake that he made back in the spring…

'_How could she…'_

Kouseikei laid a shaking hand on the nearest wall, leaning against it to steady himself. Cold sweat began to break out all over his body, and his heart beat as though a thousand Rapidash were galloping in his chest. Fear and shock, a fresh dose of the paralyzing poison, effectively rendered him immobile.

'_Oh Lord Rayquaza, this is the _last_ thing I want to happen. Now I'm perfectly sure I'm _done for...'

Palkia turned her head upon hearing that someone had entered. Her mouth fell open the moment her eyes fell upon the young man standing close to the door. His garments were of the typical design favored by his clan. He also wore the signature headdress of a fully-realized Salamence, although his ensemble came in shades much darker than the others she had seen. Like his kinsmen, his eyes were coal-black and his hair a deep teal, a color moreover hinted at in his olive skin. His hair reached slightly below his shoulders and he kept most of it tied back in a low ponytail, but he let several short locks fall on either side of his face. She could not see his wings, but she assumed that they were blood-red like those of other Salamence. Several diagonal scars were on his left cheek, as though some creature had clawed at his face and left the marks of its passing. Regardless of such differences and disfiguration, however, Palkia thought for a brief moment that she was gazing at her own younger brother. This man may be a mortal and totally unrelated to the children of Arceus, but the eerie physical similarity was _there, _and once she had found it, she could not ignore it.

But it wasn't too long before Palkia found out that even though he resembled Dialga in looks, the Salamence apparently lacked the confidence and steadfast air of the Temporal Overseer. Barely had the young man met the ruby eyes of the Goddess of Space when he blanched. He became so deathly pale that Palkia worried he was in danger of fainting right then and there.

"Are you all right?" the Space Dragoness asked with concern, standing up immediately to offer the man whatever assistance she could give. He, on the other hand, recoiled from her just as she was reaching out to him.

"M-my Lady… I didn't… I didn't _mean _to… Please have mercy…"

At once, Palkia realized that the person she was searching for was standing before her very eyes right now. And yet, she didn't expect him to react so violently to her presence. Just as she was trying to think of how to calm him, he threw himself to the ground at her feet, his hands clasped in supplication – a pitiful figure, an embodiment of remorse.

"Please have mercy on me, my Lady... I _beg _you…"

Palkia knelt and gently touched her hand to the young man's trembling shoulder. He tensed at her gesture, but he didn't dare make a move against the Goddess of Space.

"I come in peace, my friend," she said softly, hoping that she could dissipate the worst of his fears by her voice. "I will not hurt you, so please rise."

To honor her request, the young man gingerly raised himself up from the stone floor. Palkia helped him sit on one of the chairs, supporting him the entire time. That very moment, a small knock on the door was heard, followed closely by the voice of a child.

"Master Kouseikei, I have come to bring tea."

'_Kouseikei,' _Palkia noted in her mind. _'A gathering of constant stars… the star system...'_

The young man took in a deep breath to steady his nerves, but his clasped hands continued to tremble as they rested on the table's top.

"Y-yes, please come in," he told the apprentice.

Palkia moved to sit across the Salamence as the Bagon laid a tray laden with a teapot, two cups, and a small plate of sweet bean cakes on the table. The young man nodded at the little boy, and the latter quickly took his leave, shutting the door as he departed.

The young Salamence immediately poured her a cup of tea, an offer which Palkia gladly accepted even though she was apprehensive that he would spill the fragrant liquid because of how badly his hands were shaking. Noticing that he wasn't making a move to pour a cup for himself, she took the teapot and filled the remaining one for him. He seemed lost and confused as to what he should do, but eventually he bowed to her in thanks. He lifted the small ceramic container to his lips and took a sip.

Pleased that the mortal dragon had finally calmed down slightly, Palkia smiled and spoke to him kindly.

"Your name is Kouseikei, isn't it? I am very happy to have finally met you."

Kouseikei lifted his eyes slightly, but he remained unable to meet his immortal guest in the eye.

"Lady Palkia," he whispered, fear still present in his voice and visage. "I… I didn't expect this visit…"

"Please don't misunderstand," Palkia said in an answer to his unasked question. "I did not come here to chastise you. I've been searching the land for you on the matter of your gift."

As she was speaking, she brought out a familiar-looking pine box. The Goddess of Space carefully opened the lid and gently lifted out one of the beautiful carvings, which she placed before him.

"My priestess told me you made them," she continued. "She did tell me of your request to maintain your anonymity, but I hope you'll forgive me for my curiosity. You are very talented with your trade, Kouseikei. The moment I saw your work, I knew I just had to seek you out."

Kouseikei said nothing for a while, but he did inspect the tiny work of art. Palkia observed the loving care by which he handled the shell carving. The other artisans she consulted before were also careful when they examined the trinkets, but they lacked the gravity the Salamence showed when facing his own creation. No doubt, Kouseikei was the one who gave the mother-of-pearl its life.

"You deserve to have them, my Lady," Kouseikei said, giving the carving back to her. "They are of the rarest specimen of the dragon-scale stone, and the least I could do is offer them to the deity who helped shaped the world."

"I beg your pardon?" Palkia said. "Are you saying that these are not mother-of-pearl?"

Surprised but secretly delighted at the genuine interest of the goddess, Kouseikei explained, "No, Lady Palkia. They are not mother-of-pearl, although my late master had told me that they are made of the same minerals. My people call it the dragon-scale stone, because many of its samples carry patterns similar to its namesake."

Clearly impressed, Palkia eyed the carvings through a new light. Softly tracing a carved groove in the stone, she remarked, "For you to be able to transform featureless stone into these elegant wings, you must love flying as much as you love your art."

Kouseikei, who had been taking sips of tea as she was speaking, suddenly lowered the cup, a melancholy expression plain on his face. Palkia frowned, more out of worry than anything.

"If I upset you with my words, I deeply apologize. I acknowledge that it's none of my business."

"It's all right, my Lady," the young Salamence said with a sigh. "I understand that it's not every day that one meets a Salamence who could not fly."

Palkia was about to take a bite out of one of the sweet cakes when his words registered in her mind. Mirroring his earlier reaction, she lowered the cake and looked at Kouseikei with stunned incredulity in her eyes.

"Are you saying," she said slowly, "that the sound of wings I heard back in the spring… they weren't yours?"

'_I was afraid she'd catch that,' _Kouseikei thought, mentally slapping himself.

"I'm afraid they weren't, Lady Palkia," he said, looking away. Although a fragment of Kouseikei's self continued to harbor ill feelings for Ashikase considering the other Salamence's role in the incident that started it all, he wasn't fully willing to betray his kinsman either.

"Kouseikei, will you answer one question truthfully?"

The young dragon looked down at the warm cup he held in his hands. The tea had calmed him considerably, and although he was still quite wary of the Goddess of Space, the gentle manner by which she talked to him eased up much of his self-imposed apprehensions about her. After breathing in deeply, he raised his head and met Palkia in the eye, in the manner of dragons when affirming their sincerity.

"I will try, my Lady."

Palkia's ruby eyes shimmered with an incomprehensible expression, but she nodded once.

"Very well. Please tell me, Kouseikei: did you… take my clothes against your will?"

It was not the question he expected, but Kouseikei was nonetheless thankful that she did not ask _who _was the other Salamence involved in the mishap concerning her robe.

"I… I didn't want to dishonor the Pearl of the Legendaries," the young dragon whispered, bowing his head. "It was a grave mistake on my part to _fail _to recognize the Lady Palkia, but I was most unwilling to take her clothes even before I found out who she was."

Palkia simply smiled a little at him whilst savoring the taste of the bean cake from earlier.

"It was my _very _intention that day not to be recognized, so please don't blame yourself about that," she said, after swallowing the last bit of filling. So sympathetically did she look at him, that Kouseikei felt even guiltier for being unable to defend himself against Ashikase's harrying.

"I know it's useless to think of what might have been," he said in a self-effacing tone. "But if I _had _recognized my Lady, I would rather have chosen to starve in those steep cliffs instead of causing her shame."

The Space Dragoness tilted her head slightly, confused at his choice of words.

"I'm afraid you lost me when you said you'd rather starve in those steep cliffs. Do you mean… the other Salamence… he _threatened _to leave you there if you didn't carry out his bidding?"

"I was a _coward, _Lady Palkia," Kouseikei muttered bitterly. His hands clenched themselves so tightly around the teacup; Palkia wouldn't be surprised if he managed to break it with his own bare fingers. "But as a flightless Salamence, I am a disgrace among my kindred. And considering how I lost my wing…"

Kouseikei managed to catch himself in time. He had _vowed _never to speak of the circumstances that caused him to lose his flight, especially not to an immortal like Palkia. His clan had branded him not only a disgrace, but also a _fool, _for having made such a blunder like he did…

Thankfully, Palkia appeared not to take notice of his abrupt breaking off. If she did, she did not press him to further talk about that matter.

"My friend," she said softly, reaching across the table to quietly touch his clenched fingers. "Is it alright for you to… show me your wings?"

Kouseikei's eyes widened, as though he could not comprehend her question.

"Lady Palkia…"

"Please," she said soothingly but with the seriousness of a goddess, "if it is alright for you, show me your wings."

The young Salamence remained reluctant, but he felt that he couldn't disobey Palkia in spite of the phrasing of her words as a request. And so, he slowly stood up. After closing his eyes for a few moments, Kouseikei abruptly opened his coal-black eyes and summoned out his wings from the dark teal scale patch on his back. His right wing was a perfect image of a Salamence wing, with blue-green ribs and blood-red webbing covered with a pattern of dark mottled spots and intricate veins unique to each individual, but his left wing was another matter. The tattered remains of the heavily torn blood-red web hung limply from ribs which were battered here and there by deep scars that left jagged valleys on the dark teal scales.

Kouseikei saw Palkia stand up from her seat as well. In evenly measured footsteps, she walked to his left side to further evaluate the damage. He was relieved that the Spatial Overseer did not regard his injury with ridicule, but he did not know what to make of her expression either. The dragoness looked at his tattered wing with a serious interest, as though it was a challenge she was inclined to take and conquer.

"You've asked a Healer for an appraisal on this, I presume?" she asked. Palkia didn't touch his wings, for she was well aware of how important they were to a Salamence. Although she said nothing, she was taken aback upon seeing the extent of Kouseikei's scars. Palkia had seen the scar on his cheek, but she had not anticipated that the worst of the damage could be found at back of his left upper torso. She would have thought that they were scars from the lashes of a bladed whip, if not for the uniformly diagonal manner by which they were etched deeply into the skin. The nature of the marks matched the disfigurements on his left wing, leading Palkia to speculate that Kouseikei earned his scars around the same moment that his wing was shorn.

"I already have, my Lady," Kouseikei said, his voice heavy with hopelessness. "All the Healers in my clan worked their hardest, but they have already assessed it to be damaged beyond repair. A Salamence could only grow his wings once, and if they are badly injured, there is no second chance of rebirth."

"A rebirth by whatever measures a mortal could produce, you mean."

"I… I don't understand, Lady Palkia."

Palkia motioned for him to take a seat. Kouseikei uncertainly obeyed, folding his wings against his back.

"Do you wish to have your flight back?" she asked him, whilst walking to look out the window. What she was looking at or why she was looking at it, Kouseikei had no idea.

"I…" Kouseikei muttered, wondering why Palkia asked him such a question.

Noticing his lapse, the Spatial Overseer looked at him with the same compelling gaze that she used earlier to convince him to unveil his wings.

"Kouseikei," she repeated. "Do you wish to have your flight back?"

Memories of injustices replayed in the flightless Salamence's mind. Abandonment by people you thought you called your friends. Jeers. Whispers whenever his back was turned. Contempt. _Being denied his former master's position…_

All because he was a Salamence who could not fly.

Kouseikei locked gazes with the deity.

"Yes," he said. "If there was a way to get my flight back, I would do it."

Palkia smiled, obviously pleased by his answer.

"In that case," she replied, "I will be able to help you."


	6. The Trail of the Constant Star

_Author's notes:_

_I'd just keep the preliminaries short. Basically, I came up with this chapter because I don't know when I'll get the opportunity to write again. I don't write fan fiction full time, you know. However, if you managed to catch the teeny foreshadowings I have been dropping here and there, you just might be able to get a picture of how future events will unfold. _

_The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri._

…o0o…

**Part I: Broken Wings**

**Chapter VI: The Trail of the Constant Star**

"_In that case, I will be able to help you."_

Kouseikei repeated her words several times in his mind before their true meaning finally hit him. When it did, his consternation at the uncalled-for offer was so great… he temporarily forgot who Palkia was and he just gawked at her with the blank gaze of a Psyduck.

The Space Dragoness, on the other hand, was clearly amused by his reaction and couldn't help the grin on her face.

"Are you still with me, Kouseikei?" she asked. The serious tone of her voice was queerly mismatched with her smiling expression.

The young Salamence quickly recovered his composure, but the nervous stuttering that Palkia thought was finally suppressed had returned yet again.

Kouseikei, his wings giving an apparent twitch, struggled to find the right words to express his apprehensions. It wasn't that he didn't believe in the immortals' capabilities to do things that most mortals would have deemed impossible. What he couldn't _accept _was that _he, _an outcast among his own kin, was to be the recipient of such a generous offer, even if it had always been the exact wish of his heart for the past years. Furthermore, it was too good to be true. Could it really be happening that it was Palkia herself who was dropping the much-coveted opportunity right on his lap? _Palkia,_ the Goddess of Space, of all the Legends… the very woman whose clothes he was forced to steal just a few days before?

"M-my Lady… I… I don't think I'm worthy… Besides… al-although I hate to say this, I have forgotten the rhythm of flight. Thus, even if… "

"My friend," Palkia said, cutting him off gently. "Before you judge yourself so harshly, will you allow me to explain first?"

The mortal dragon found her choice of words quite curious. However, he bowed to the dragoness and gave her his permission.

'_Before I judge myself so harshly, huh?' _Kouseikei thought. He can tell that her words aimed to dissuade him from turning down her proposition, but the manner by which she phrased them was unusual. Unconsciously, it caused the observant dragon to draw a parallel – quite vague, if anything – with her more lighthearted side, a little bit of which he saw during their awkward first encounter.

_When she had exchanged banters with Dialga…_

"The rhythm of flight is easily forgotten if it is not often called, I understand," Palkia told him, her expression undaunted by Kouseikei's attempts to discourage her. "I have foreseen that problem, and as such I won't give you an 'instant' cure. Rather, you would have to make the journey yourself, and I will only be your guide. In that manner, you will be able to heal your wing and regain the confidence that was lost to you in all these years of impairment."

More confused than ever, Kouseikei inquired, "My Lady said something about a journey. What does she mean by that?"

Palkia's ruby eyes shimmered; obviously, she was waiting for the question to arise.

"I mean a trip to Jirachi's abode," she explained patiently, sitting down once more across him. "I am sure you are aware that our friend the Wishmaker spends his days in a deep slumber so he can hear the stirrings of every mortal heart at their clearest. _That, _the silent prayer of the heart, is the most readily available method to let him hear your wish and hope for its fulfillment. But were you ever aware that there is another way, that which could hold more definite answers?"

The young Salamence shook his head. He had so many questions to ask, but he did not dare raise them until Palkia was finished with what she had to say. Privately, he was surprised that Jirachi was to be involved at all. It was no small secret among the Salamence that many of their kind considered the God of Wishes to be a deity who appealed more to dragonlings than their older counterparts. Although it wasn't unheard of to send a private prayer to Jirachi for the success of one endeavor or another, strict devotion to the Wishmaker was a soft opinion. But of course, Kouseikei never intended to tell Palkia that…

"If you _awaken_ him and express your wish in earnest, then perhaps a miracle may happen."

Kouseikei frowned slightly in an expression of his silent question. Just _how _was one to wake the Wishmaker?

"This is where the journey comes in," Palkia continued. She began to draw patterns on the blank space before her. Or blank, as it appeared to Kouseikei anyway. Where the dragoness' fingers passed, a white line of pure brightness appeared and stayed. She was etching into the very fabric of space itself. "One has to travel to certain places that Jirachi had hallowed and leave a specific offering there. The route is a secret, and no mortal could traverse it unless he has an immortal to lead him on. Only after the completion of the said journey will Jirachi awaken."

Palkia then pointed to the etchings. Kouseikei can see that she had drawn a kind of rough map to make things a little easier for him to understand.

"Jirachi had hallowed spots from these places," she said.

Kouseikei was familiar with two of the places on the map. The Long Plateau and the Points of Balance were known to the Salamence, but the Desert of Lines and the Forgotten Mountains were quite foreign to him.

"It will take a minimum of about three weeks to visit all these places on foot," Palkia carried on, lightly passing her hand once more over the drawn figures to dissipate the lines back to nothingness. "There is yet another location… the last and most vital one, but I cannot reveal it to you until you have made your decision."

The mortal dragon's mind was still swimming in a sea of confusion. To spend _three weeks _away from the clan, away from the place he had known all his life! But then again, to get away from such an atmosphere that treated him like worthless dirt would be a welcome respite…

"Lady Palkia," he muttered uncertainly. "If you are kept from your duties just to accompany me…"

"This is _my_ choice, Kouseikei, and I am prepared to take the responsibility for it. Moreover, I do not have to stay in my father's dimension in order to maintain Space."

"But even if I managed to complete the journey… what if Lord Jirachi refuses to see me?"

"That will not happen," the goddess replied nonchalantly. "You awakened him, and by then he ought to have seen the true strength of your will."

'_Lady Palkia believes in me more than I believe in myself,' _Kouseikei thought in secret, sighing inwardly.

Palkia had taken the lone dragon-scale stone carving which until that moment had been resting on the tabletop. After returning it back into the pine box to join its fellows, she closed the lid and pushed the box with its contents to Kouseikei.

"I will give you the night to think about my offer," the Spatial Overseer said. "Until then, these wing carvings are to stay with you."

"They are yours, my Lady," Kouseikei quickly replied. He attempted to push the box back to her, but Palkia's hand held firm.

"Should you choose to follow through with my proposition, I will gladly take them back," Palkia said in response. "But if you decline, you are released from your vow and are to keep them again."

"But Lady Palkia… this is the least I could do to make up for what I've done…"

"As for _that," _she answered with a twinkle in her eyes, "the fact that you returned my robe is enough. I have already forgiven you, Kouseikei. Please don't let that matter bother you any longer."

Having let go of those words, she stood up.

"Thank you for the tea," the Space Goddess told the young dragon. "I will be waiting for you at the top of the Meteor Falls tomorrow morning, at the first touch of sunrise. Please reflect carefully on my offer, my friend."

Kouseikei watched her cloak herself once more in the traveling drapes of her priestesses. Just as she was about to walk out the door, he called to her.

"Please wait, my Lady!"

Palkia paused and turned to look at him once more.

"Yes?"

Taking in a deep breath, he asked, "This option… to take this journey… why, or rather, _how _do mortals earn such privilege?"

She simply smiled, replying, "Only if they have set themselves as exceptional in the eyes of the Legends."

…o0o…

_Indistinct calls for help flooded his ears repeatedly. He was torn between a longing to find the source of the pleas and a strong sense of caution at the back of his mind… a caution that appeared to speak to the most primeval part of his self… the recesses where his innermost fears were kept._

_The echoes rang clearer as he took slow but sure steps that led him deeper into the forest. Although he hardly had any idea where he was going, _something _inside him gave an assurance that he was near his goal._

_But what was his goal to begin with? He didn't know. He _just _had to continue walking…_

_And _why_ was he feeling so apprehensive about reaching the endpoint of this mysterious maze?_

_Finally, he caught sight of the thing that was making the sounds. It was trembling at the roots of the tree that towered over it, as though the very shadows of the leaves threatened to creep upon it and crush its fragile body._

_He reached out to the helpless thing. He pitied it, and yet the more he bridged the distance between them, the more intense the warnings became. The fear was now too real to be dismissed, but the fact that he had _no idea _what was causing it made the situation even more frightening. He wanted so badly to drive the fear away, but he _can't, _because he didn't know _how…

_The alarm and the terror suddenly reached a deafening crescendo. As though by some instinct, he turned, only to be briefly blinded by multiple slashes of orange-tinged energy. Heat and pain followed in quick succession._

_Pain._

That _pain… it tore at his flesh, and the left side of his back took the brunt of it all. He tasted the metallic edge of blood… fierce splashes of red from the series of deep wounds that had appeared on his cheek…_

_And through the frenzied melee of his senses, his vision caught a glimpse of a smirking face too blurred to be recognized… one which obviously took great pleasure in his pain –_

"**NO!"**

Kouseikei sat up on the thin mattress, his body shaking violently. His skin was beaded heavily with perspiration, and he breathed as though he had just participated in a particularly exhausting footrace.

'_It's _that _same nightmare,' _he thought, his left hand moving to clutch at his heaving chest. He could feel his heart thumping its panicky tempo against his ribcage. _'It's been _years _since I last saw it; why does it have to come back and haunt me now?'_

In an attempt to clear his mind of the night terror, Kouseikei closed his eyes and slowly counted to ten. It was a primitive method, he knew, but it still helped him considerably whenever such spells troubled him. True enough, his body gradually released its tension, and he regained much of the calm that he possessed prior to seeing the horrible pictures projected from the dimension of dreams.

Only when he was perfectly composed again did the young Salamence realize that he was grasping something on his dominant hand. He looked down at it, and was greeted by the shining glint of still-sharp metal. Evidently, the nightmare had triggered his draconic self-defense instincts and he had drawn the weapon in his sleep.

Kouseikei's expression mellowed into a more solemn one as he regarded the fighting halberd silently. Like other Salamence, he had received the weapon in the final evolution ceremony. Part of their training as Shelgons involved a series of consultations with the masters of arms among the clan so as to conceive the design of the true weapon that was to be their own. The plans were then forwarded to the smiths, whose duty was to set to work bringing the drafts to completion.

Depending on the fighting style the Shelgon was shown to excel in, he or she was offered a different variety of weapons ranging from swords to bows and arrows. However, the most common recommendation was usually in the form of a halberd, and as such it had become a signature weapon of the Salamence clan.

The weapon that was given to Kouseikei was perfectly symmetrical, with a narrow central blade and a pair of serrated wing-like side blades attached it. And like the other halberds that had been forged, the blades were positioned at the end of a long rigid handle painted a warlike red. However, the masters were careful to take into consideration every individual's height and reach when deciding the final length of the weapon, and as such no two halberds were the same.

Sighing deeply, Kouseikei closed his eyes and focused on returning the weapon back to its hiding place. A small gust of wind blew within the closed room and swirled around the halberd. In a few seconds, the weapon became one with the currents of air. With their dispersal, the previously solid form also vanished, leaving a faint royal purple trail in its wake.

The Salamence was one of the select clans in the land who could learn a very old form of combat that enabled them utilize weapons summoned from their elemental typing. Not all weapons, however, could be summoned in that manner. Kouseikei knew that his blade only answered to him because the two of them were connected by some kind of signature. Nevertheless, he didn't pretend to fully understand the mechanism that brought it to being. He just carefully followed the elders in their instructions on how to seal the life-long bond of warrior and weapon in order for it to truly work.

'_It's nice that we could entrust the Wind with our armory,' _Kouseikei thought, _'but it would have been better if it could bear us up to the sky without the requirement of wings.'_

But even he acknowledged that it would upset the natural balance if things were _that _simple. The power of flight was sacred to the Salamence. To his people, it was both a privilege and a discipline, and required the strength of the mind and heart to compliment the soundness of the body – aspects that a little Bagon would have difficulty comprehending.

The sky was an unbroken fabric of black peeking into a window crack. Kouseikei lay back down on the stark coverlet, pulling the frayed blanket to cover his bare torso once again. He should have remembered that it was a night with a dark moon. The God of Bad Dreams ought to be doing his rounds in the mortal realm now that the Moon Goddess had hidden her face.

Or maybe he was just plain tired. It had taken him a while to get to sleep. He had mulled over Palkia's words for a long time before he finally forced himself to call it a day. The young dragon was indecisive when he went to bed earlier that night, but being confronted with the dreadful nightmare finally drove him to an ultimate decision as to what path to take.

"_Only if they have set themselves as exceptional in the eyes of the Legends…"_

'_But Lady Palkia,' _he said in his mind before closing his eyes, _'I am _in no way _exceptional for a mortal…'_

…o0o…

The Sun God had barely shown his presence, but Kouseikei was already awake. No amount of forcing on the part of his will could induce his body to steal a few more moments of sleep. He had dressed and inhaled the cooling vapors of the morning air through the window to make sure that his wits were properly about him before leaving. The Salamence departed from his home, choosing the road that will take him to the mighty waterfall where Palkia pledged she would manifest to meet with him. He took the box of dragon-scale stone with him as well, to fulfill his part of the agreement.

The roar of the Meteor Falls drowned out most of the other sounds as Kouseikei reached the banks of the river that led to it. The flow of the river above the falls was considerably less turbulent than how it was further downstream, although a bad storm could transform the normally placid waters into raging vortexes. Kouseikei walked alongside the gentle current until he caught sight of the abrupt drop in the terrain. He stopped near the edge of the rock face, slowly doing a thorough survey of his surroundings to see if there was another soul nearby.

"Kouseikei?"

The young man almost jumped to hear his name called out of the blue, but the surprise was only momentary. He turned and found himself face to face with the Spatial Overseer. She was clad in the simple robes of her priestesses, just like how she appeared to him the day before.

But she was still beautiful.

Kouseikei bowed deeply to the Space Dragoness before he presented to her the same box that he had offered up in her temple. He opened its lid a little to show her that the contents were still intact. After a few moments, he closed it again so she can receive them. Palkia reached forward and clasped the sides of the container, but she did not fully take it from him just yet.

"My Lady," he said. "I thank you for giving me a second chance to take to the skies. It would be a great honor to take the journey with Lady Palkia as my guide."

…o0o…

Palkia was greatly relieved to see that Kouseikei had arrived. She herself had barely been able to sleep the night before, out of anticipation as to what his answer will be. Although she had prepared herself to face all the possible outcomes, she still hoped that he will choose to take the opportunity that she had given him. The Goddess of Space was delighted, therefore, when Kouseikei expressed his acceptance of her offer.

The dragoness smiled at the mortal man, saying, "We can leave as soon as you see fit."

Kouseikei's eyes widened a little. Apparently, he didn't expect her to be so eager to travel.

"What must we take with us on the journey, my Lady?"

"You don't have to take much," she replied. "Food and water are plentiful on the first stretches, and it won't be too difficult to obtain them if one knows where to look. Furthermore, the climate in those places is reasonably mild compared to the true wilderness that we will enter much later on." After pausing slightly, she locked her ruby eyes with his ebony ones. "Besides, it is _my _duty to make sure that all your resolve is not thrown to waste, and that you reach Jirachi safe and sound. That is a promise, and I intend to keep it at all costs."

The mortal dragon did not answer for a while. He blinked quickly for several times, as though attempting to keep back a trickle of tears. Finally, he bowed in the goddess' direction.

"Th-thank you, my Lady," was all he could say.

Palkia placed a hand on Kouseikei's shoulder. Recognizing her gesture, he raised himself up. Her expression was by far the most gentle she had given him. Quietly, she took the box of the wing carvings from Kouseikei in accordance to their previous bargain.

"I won't interfere with your preparations, my friend," the Spatial Overseer said. "We can meet again here to begin our journey. Just tell me when I am to return."

"A… a few hours are all that I need, my Lady."

"No need to rush, Kouseikei. On second thought, it would be better if we begin early tomorrow instead of today. Take a good rest tonight. You will need it."

No doubt, she was subtly expressing her worries about the dark circles that had appeared under his eyes. Kouseikei rubbed his eyes a few times before he nodded to her in agreement, grinning uncertainly. Chuckling slightly, Palkia bid him farewell for the day, holding the box of carvings close to her bosom as the fabric of space enfolded their mistress. With her disappearance, Kouseikei realized that she was back into the protection of her home dimension.

…o0o…

"I would have to go on an indefinite leave from the guild for at least three weeks," Kouseikei announced to Akigara later in the day, within the office of the new master of the Stonecarvers. "I am not permanently breaking off on my own, but I cannot give a specific date of return when I myself am not sure when I shall be back."

The other Salamence was silent for a few minutes. The flightless dragon was beginning to worry that he will be forbidden to go. Even though he was an artisan who had already earned his graduation, Kouseikei was still subject to Akigara's influence, and he couldn't just leave the guild without informing the master about it.

"Kouseikei," Akigara said softly. "I am so sorry for what had happened."

Perplexed by the cryptic answer, Kouseikei replied, "I… I don't understand."

Akigara sighed. "Are you… still angry with me about the way the guild's succession turned out? I completely understand if you wish to take this leave to get away from me."

Kouseikei didn't expect such an answer. Immediately, he sought to clear up the misconception.

"No, no. Please don't misinterpret my words. My reasons are wholly personal and have got nothing to do with the result of the succession. You are skilled in your own right, Akigara. Master Gyokuei would be very proud of you."

Akigara rose from his seat. Approaching Kouseikei, he clasped the other Salamence's shoulder in the manner of friends.

"We both know that Master Gyokuei would have preferred you as his heir," he told Kouseikei, his tone sad but devoid of any malice. "I'll admit that I was jealous of his preference for you, but… what the Council did was downright _cruel. _I wouldn't have minded having you as the new master, Kouseikei. I hope you will be able to forgive me one day for having taken what was rightfully yours."

Kouseikei smiled a little, touched that Akigara had decided to open up to him about that matter. Mirroring the other dragon's actions, he moved to pat the other youth on the shoulder.

"We both had no say over the decision, so it's not your fault," Kouseikei assured him. "Thank you for telling all these to me, Akigara. You can rest assured that I hold no ill feelings against you. The least that we can do is make sure that our master's legacy remains alive in the little ones he had entrusted to us."

Akigara smiled as well, relief apparent on his face.

"Indeed," he agreed. "I will not hold you back from taking leave, my friend, and I pray that Lord Rayquaza will keep you safe in your travels. But I beseech you, do come back. I consider you to be an invaluable part of our circle, and it would do the apprentices good to see you at work. Your skills were... after all, greater than mine. Even I had to admit that."

Kouseikei, thankful that the new master had chosen not to ask him further about the nature of his journey, willingly promised that he will indeed return. After several more conciliatory exchanges of words, he left Akigara, secretly very happy to find out that he still had a friend among his kin after all.

…o0o…

_Part I: Broken Wings, Ends_

_Part II: Healing the Wings, Begins_


	7. Dragons' Ravine

_Author's notes:_

_Well, I finally managed to write this out. I've been very busy with my studies so fanfic-writing isn't on my priority list, but I assure you I am all right. A thousand apologies for the delay._

_The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri._

…o0o…

**Part II: Healing the Wings**

**Chapter I: Dragons' Ravine**

'_I have enough antidotes,' _Kouseikei thought, carefully running through his mental checklist. He was in the clan's apothecary so as to prepare a well-equipped stock of healing items, for he didn't want to leech Palkia of her own supplies that he knew she was bound to carry. She may have considered it her duty to make sure he arrived to Jirachi in one piece, but Kouseikei respected her enough to make sure he could still stand on his own feet for their journey. He had already bothered the Goddess of Space greatly enough, and he didn't want to add any further worries on her shoulders by being an unprepared traveler. That was the least a flightless Salamence could do.

'_However, I am running low on Paralysis Heals,' _he concluded._ 'After all, DragonBreath has a chance of paralyzing the target, and that attack is often launched at me without warning, and for no good reason at all...'_

Kouseikei sighed, but nonetheless gave his order to the attendant, who went off to obtain the requested items. Kouseikei was no stranger to minor attacks from his kindred who, thinking that a flightless Salamence was easy prey, were bold enough to openly challenge him. Through a combination of wits and sheer ferocity, he had managed to keep himself alive and breathing. After all, the elders didn't tap him to take a high-ranking position in the War Council for nothing, at least before his wing was permanently impaired. However, those he defeated only looked upon him with greater contempt for the mere act of winning.

The attendant had arrived with the package of Paralysis Heals. Yet at that very same instance, Kouseikei heard an irritatingly too familiar voice addressing him.

"Well Kousei, we meet again. And in the apothecary, of all the places!"

Kouseikei shot an icy glare at Ashikase, but made an effort to answer in a more or less civil manner.

"What brought you here?" the flightless dragon asked.

Shrugging a little, Ashikase told the clerk, "Two Revives, if you'd please. Two Shelgons just knocked each other out during a sparring session." Shifting his gaze to Kouseikei, he asked, "So my old friend, I presume someone from your guild jammed his finger on the door?"

"No," Kouseikei answered flatly. Handing the attendant the equivalent money as payment, he bundled up the Paralysis Heals such that they wouldn't come loose from their packaging on his way back to his dwelling. "I am here for reasons that are wholly mine. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other things to do."

"What's the _rush?" _Ashikase remarked with a smirk. "And I am honestly surprised to see that you still have not yet taken a mate. Didn't you just meet her a few days ago?"

Kouseikei knew himself to have a good hold over his temper for a member of his species, but Ashikase's statement was seriously testing his self-control. The last thing he wanted to hear was a retelling of the incident concerning him and Palkia. Furthermore, to Kouseikei, just the thought of a mortal mating with the Goddess of Space was tantamount to heresy. As if the fact that the said mortal was damaged goods, and a low-ranked nobody at that, wasn't enough to spark outrage…

'_Moreover,' _Kouseikei thought privately, _'Even if I loved her in _that _manner, I doubt she'll ever reciprocate my feelings. I am lucky to have earned her respect at all.'_

_If by some reason, he _did_ fall in love with her…_

"I remember clearly telling you that I don't need a bride," Kouseikei said, keeping his voice devoid of any expression. "At least not yet, anyway. And besides, aren't you satisfied with putting me into an embarrassing situation like you just did?"

"Ha, if you're so sore about it, then why don't you duel with me to get even?"

Kouseikei refused to fall for the trap.

"The mood is not on me, Ashikase. To begin with, our elders wouldn't have considered such matters worthy of a duel. _Everybody_ knows that. And I _really _have to depart. You've delayed me long enough."

"Why are you in such a hurry, in the first place? It's not like you'll be gone tomorrow..." A brief flicker in Kouseikei's eyes was all it took for Ashikase to raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Wait... don't tell me I was correct all along."

"I won't be gone in _that _sense of gone," Kouseikei replied hastily. "But you should rejoice, for you won't be seeing me for a while."

"You're going somewhere? And pray tell, what is your destination?"

Kouseikei was in no way about to betray his secret agreement with Palkia.

"That does not concern you, worry not. Wish the other Shelgons luck for me, will you?"

Before Ashikase could reply, Kouseikei swiftly slipped out of the shop, eager to get away from the other Salamence.

...o0o...

"Have you heard any tidings from Jirachi these days?" Palkia casually asked her brother. Dialga sat close to the banks of her lotus pond while she sat on the water, in the company of the plants. Many of the lotuses were ripe for harvest, and their seeds were very good to eat. Unfortunately, the aquatic plants refused to willingly yield their fruit to anyone but their mistress, the Lady of Space.

"I haven't, no," Dialga replied whilst inspecting one of the seeds that his sister had harvested. Unlike any other lotus seed, it was perfectly spherical and looked exactly like a pearl. However, instead of being cold like a lifeless jewel, it felt wonderfully warm to the touch. "But then again, Sis, I am not too close to him."

Palkia gently plucked a ripe seed pod from its stem, which disintegrated into a shower of shimmering silver powder that gradually sunk to the pond's depths. She popped the ripe seeds from the circular disk, reserving several to continue propagating the plants. However, most of the others she shared with Dialga, who was quite fond of their pleasantly sweet flavor.

Carefully tucking a lotus seed into his mouth, Dialga paused to allow the pearly substance to dissolve before asking, "Say, Palkia. What made you ask?"

"I have to... ask a little favor from him," Palkia answered. She then directed his attention to a small pile of the pearly seeds that she had set apart from the others. "You can have the others, but not these. I need them for my journey. I will be away from home for about three weeks, Brother. Duty calls."

"Three weeks? That's a relatively long time, but you have to do what you have to do, right?"

Palkia smiled at her younger brother. She was thankful that Dialga didn't react so violently to the news as she expected. She recalled how upset he had been when his older sister first began to spend long periods of time away from their father's palace. Palkia would immediately return when his distressed vibrations called to her, but as they grew older, he eventually learned to give his sister her own space. Now that they were grown, he had gotten so used to her habit that Dialga hardly questioned where she was going anymore. Besides, he was comforted by the thought that no matter how long she was gone, she would always come back without fail.

"Why are you laughing?" Dialga asked, perplexed to see Palkia chuckling softly to herself.

The Spatial Overseer hushed herself before replying, "Oh, it's nothing, Dialga. I just remembered how you used to _beg _me not to leave whenever I wanted to take a little trip that lasted more than a day."

Dialga smiled a little, albeit blushing at the same time.

"I didn't want to be left alone with Mesprit and the others when they're forcing me to play those girly games of yours," he said. "But thankfully, they've outgrown it."

"That's true enough," Palkia replied, taking hold of her sibling's hand and squeezing it gently. "Just remember, my voice reaches you no matter how many dimensions stand between us. I'll make sure to send you news of my whereabouts from time to time while I'm gone."

Dialga nodded his assent. Palkia gathered a handful of the round beads and scattered them over a blank area of water. The water briefly shone silver before the young plants emerged to take the place of the older ones. After inspecting the new brood for any defects and finding none, she took the seeds she had reserved for her journey and placed them in a cloth pouch.

"And Sis…"

"Hmm?"

"If someone goes to steal your clothes again, _please _leave it to me to take care of them, okay?"

Palkia stared at her brother for a moment before she smiled, fondly patting Dialga's arm.

"I appreciate your concern," she replied. "I assure you I won't be careless, but I'll be sure to keep that in mind should it happen."

…o0o…

His rival's actions had caught his attention. Before he knew it, Ashikase had bribed one of the young Bagon apprentices of the Stonecarvers in an attempt to find out Kouseikei's motives. He didn't glean much for all his trouble, for as luck would have it, the dragonling didn't know much more than the fact that Kouseikei was going on an indefinite leave.

Ashikase stepped silently as he prowled the forest, fighting halberd in hand. Unlike Kouseikei or Akigara, his peers from the fighting ground, he was not particularly affiliated with any guild among the Salamence. Ever since attaining the final evolution, Ashikase had grown to be independent of others for most of his basic needs, which was rather unusual because of the communal nature of the Salamence clan. Nevertheless, his clansmen didn't bother him as long as his ways didn't bother theirs, and he made sure to spend ample time in the stronghold to diffuse any suspicions the elders may have regarding his solitary way of living.

Although he hunted his own sustenance and maintained his own dwelling, most of his afternoons were used up assisting the fighting instructors in the Shelgon training ground. The teachers would even give him monetary payment for his help, and once in a while, a merchant would buy some game he had in excess. But Ashikase was not loyal to any of them. He did not and would not ever consider being a merchant, let alone an artisan. Ashikase had wanted to be in the Warrior Council, but they claimed his skills as a warrior weren't good enough. They were good enough to impress the instructors of the pre-evolutions, but not good enough to merit a position in such a coveted place.

_Not as good as Kouseikei's, for short._

'_And I presume I have to be as _indecisive _and _soft _like good old Kousei, then?' _he thought bitterly.

It was still very early in the morning, and he had to rely on his other senses other than sight to go about the task. Ashikase stood poised on the upper branches of a tree that stood beside an overgrown forest path. It used to be a common route used by his people to get to the river. But as the forest thickened and attracted the more vicious creatures like the Mightyena into its heart, the Salamence had abandoned the trail and chosen to take a longer albeit safer route around the forest. Nevertheless, a suitable game animal often took the path, and many a time Ashikase had relied on it to secure his meal when his other traps yielded nothing.

'_As far as I know, I have managed to take from Kouseikei the one thing they all value…'_

The soft rustling of leaves reached Ashikase's ears, signaling the arrival of a Sentret scampering down the path. It was queer to see a lone Sentret since they seldom ventured out of their nests without company, but that made little difference to Ashikase. Folding his wings into a streamlined position against his back, he sped down the tree in an almost vertical dive just as the creature was passing beneath his branch. Before the little scout had the chance to send out a cry of warning to its fellows, Ashikase had dispatched of it with one clean stroke of his halberd.

Barely was this accomplished when Ashikase's keen senses alerted him to a presence coming his way. Moving quickly, he withdrew into the shadows of the trees, taking his quarry with him. He kept his halberd blade on the alert, just in case it was one of the deadly pack hunters who wanted to ambush him for what he had just felled. But judging by the stealthy sound of the footfalls, whatever it was that walked the path was not a mere forest animal.

'_What the… _Kousei?'

Ashikase blinked several times to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. What could Kouseikei be doing, walking out of the stronghold at a time like this? And in a secluded forest path at that!

The Salamence in hiding, his eyes narrowed, watched his fellow dragon as he walked further down the path. Matching Kouseikei's stealth with his own, Ashikase began to follow him closely. He was both curious and apprehensive about where his flightless kinsman was going. Kouseikei did hint that he will be gone from the clan for some time, but still, his actions were unusual to Ashikase. Surely, there was _something _special about his destination for him to make sure that he wasn't followed by anyone else?

Ashikase continued to trail Kouseikei even as he saw the forest give way to the river. He noticed his rival stop his tracks, as though waiting for something. Ashikase stood still behind a tree, not taking his eyes off Kouseikei for one second.

Suddenly, curious lines appeared on the empty space before Kouseikei. A slender figure of a woman clothed in what looked like the costume of a priestess materialized not long after. Ashikase's mouth fell open.

_That woman…_

"Lady Palkia," Kouseikei whispered softly, bowing deeply to her at the same time.

Ashikase could hardly believe it. Wasn't she the same woman they had encountered in the mountain spring?

…o0o…

Kouseikei squinted, attempting to make sense of the landscape hidden in the mist. Beside him, Palkia stooped and observed a reddish rock at the lip of the gaping gorge before them.

"Brimstone," she said, frowning a little. Kouseikei moved to kneel beside her, and arrived at the same conclusion after catching the foul smell emitted by the rock. "It's just been burned recently."

"But aren't we at the northernmost section of the ravine, my Lady?" Kouseikei remarked, both perplexed and worried by the discovery. "We know in the clan that our draconic counterparts gather thickest in the south, and rarely venture up north."

"Territorial battles may have pushed some of them beyond the normal boundaries," Palkia replied softly. She placed a hand on the ground and closed her eyes, as though feeling the vibrations of the earth beneath her fingers. "But the place is still quiet. If we move quickly and silently enough, we would not have to encounter two dragons locked in battle over a potential mate."

"It's best that we keep from away from them," he agreed.

…o0o…

"_Where shall our first stop be, my Lady?" Kouseikei inquired, after he and the goddess had exchanged greetings._

"_I spent some time with Uxie deliberating on the best route to take so we can awaken Jirachi in the most efficient manner possible," Palkia replied. "Since the Long Plateau is the closest of all the hallowed locations to your clan's stronghold, the most reasonable thing would be to begin from there."_

_Kouseikei expressed his accord. It sounded reasonable to him too._

"_However, we do have a little difficulty," she continued, a little apprehension making its way in her voice. "The quickest passage to the Long Plateau from here would be the Dragons' Ravine."_

_At once, Kouseikei realized why Palkia was quite worried. The Dragons' Ravine was notorious for housing the lair of the Salamence clan's dragon namesake. Although they were a great rarity and were hardly sighted, a Salamence dragon is better avoided than encountered._

"_Uxie told me that it was still a little too early into the Salamence mating season, so there is a great chance that the ravine is relatively calm at this time of the year. However, I want to ask for your consent first. Are you willing to take the risk? I don't mind taking the longer way around, if you deem that route too dangerous."_

_Kouseikei thought over the situation. Dragons at their mating time were at their most dangerous and primal state, and were easily provoked by a mere slight. He had even heard numerous stories of dragons tearing up a passerby whose only fault was being in the wrong place at the wrong time._

"_My Lady would have to refrain from using her powers throughout our journey so as to keep our purposes safe, wouldn't she?" he asked._

"_Most of my powers that involve Space, yes," she agreed. "I could probably take you through a portal or two once we reach the wilderness, but I don't recommend it beforehand. We would end up drawing too much attention to ourselves." After pausing for a few moments, she said soothingly, "But you don't have to worry. There are other ways to get past a challenge than Spatial Rend."_

_Kouseikei nodded to show that he understood._

"_In that case, Lady Palkia, you have my trust. I am willing to go through the Dragons' Ravine if you are there to guide me."_

"_Thank you for trusting me. And if you are to address me when there are others around, please just call me Kiya. Until we reach Jirachi, I am just a mortal like you, all right?"_

'Kiya… I'll make sure to remember that,' _he promised himself._

"_Oh, and Kouseikei… forgive me for taking so long to ask this, but would you prefer to be called by your nickname, if you have one?"_

_Kouseikei was momentarily surprised, but he smiled._

"_Kousei," he answered. "Kousei is fine, my Lady."_

…o0o….

"Even though we carry dragon blood," Kouseikei said softly as they began their descent into the ravine, "my people and I seem to have already lost the worst of that primal mating instinct."

"And would you consider that a loss or a gain?" Palkia asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

Kouseikei was caught off-guard by the question, but he chuckled slightly. Palkia must be trying her best to lower his nervousness.

"I wouldn't know, my Lady," he answered. "After all, I have yet to find my lifelong partner. But curiously, many of the marriages in my clan occur at the same time as the Salamence dragons' mating season."

"I'm sure you'll find her after you get your flight back," she said levelheadedly, keeping her eyes alert for any suspicious movement in their surroundings. "And I don't think that parallel is mere coincidence. The past does find a way to catch up with the present."

They were unable to converse much from that moment on, for they had to carefully concentrate on crossing a natural land bridge that spanned the misty abyss. Taking no chances, they had brought out some rope and tied it around their waists. A misstep may prove fatal.

For the first time, Kouseikei was in awe of the practical side of Palkia's control over space. Prior to leaving the Meteor Falls, they had divided their provisions into two equal parts, which Palkia in turn fitted into a pair of cloth pouches that were small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.

"Space compression works wonders, don't you think?" she, amused by Kouseikei's dumbstruck expression, had commented while handing him one of the bags. "Cheer up, Kousei. We can enlarge the size of the pouches when we need to enter a village, so they won't have to ask us how we managed to fit an entire mat into a tiny piece of cloth."

'_Wonderful, indeed,' _Kouseikei thought, while patting the cloth pouch tucked securely in his clothing. The creation of a portal to immensely simplify their journey may be out of the question, but she _did_ find a way to make travel a lot easier for the two of them. Without much baggage slowing him down, Kouseikei found out that he could simply focus his attention on the narrow strip of land they were walking on.

Luckily, they encountered no further difficulty apart from hampered visibility for most of their crossing. After a few tense minutes in limbo, they finally discerned the opposite wall of the ravine to be just nearby.

Palkia suddenly raised her hand in a gesture of caution. Almost simultaneously, a draconic battle cry made the fog rattle. A blue-colored male dragon with red wings and a pale armored underside emerged from the swirling mist, pursued closely by another.

'_Salamence…' _Kouseikei and Palkia thought in unison, both recognizing the danger.

"We'll have to run for it," Palkia whispered to him, quickly grabbing hold of his hand. He heeded her at once, keeping a tight hold on her hand as they made their way through the last stretch of the land bridge. They ducked numerous times to avoid the Flamethrowers that the fighting dragons exchanged, all the while praying that the ground beneath them won't give way.

"_Kousei!"_

A loud crash was heard as one of the Salamence slammed his opponent right into the junction of the bridge and the wall. The blow caused the bridge to disintegrate, throwing Kouseikei off the edge of the cliff. Palkia, who had managed to step on to firm ground beforehand, quickly tightened her grip on the rope linking her to Kouseikei. Wrapping an arm around a tall rock anchored nearby, she successfully stopped his fall for a brief time. However, one of the male dragons shot out a flaming stream right in the path of the rope, severing the line immediately.

Palkia ran to the cliff edge at once, fearing the worst and calling out Kouseikei's name in a panic. To her relief, he called out her name in response. A narrow protrusion in the rock face offered him some saving grace as he held on to it for dear life.

After her spatial intuition quickly assessed the structure of the cliff, Palkia skillfully scaled down the ravine. Kouseikei watched her come closer, struggling all the while to maintain his grip on his meager handhold. Finally, she was near enough to rescue him.

"_Watch out, my Lady!"_

He did not give the warning fast enough. One of the Salamence had dislodged some rocks with a powerful lash of the tail, showering them with a barrage of stones. To Kouseikei's dismay, a large stray rock suddenly struck Palkia at the side of the head, rendering her unconscious.

They both went into free-fall, but by some stroke of luck, a wide ledge was there to catch them from wholly slipping to the base of the precipice. Small trees with wide and flexible leaves cushioned their fall. By accident, he hit the right side of his face on a rough piece of bark, leaving a bruise on his cheek.

'_With luck,' _he thought darkly, groaning slightly as the force of impact jarred his senses, _'I'd have my face evenly scarred at last…'_

But Kouseikei didn't dare pause to review the state of his own body. Pushing himself up, he instantly set to work searching for the Goddess of Space.

"Lady Palkia!" he exclaimed frantically upon finding her partially hidden by fallen leaves. Palkia was still unconscious, and blood trickled down her temple. Kouseikei had only a few moments to brush the leaves away from her and attempt to staunch the bleeding wound before the trees sheltering them burst into flame.

Not giving up just yet, Kouseikei lifted Palkia up and carried her on his back, scurrying away from the flames at the same time. He would in no way let her be harmed even more…

He was finally at the ledge's end. A gaping chasm stood before him, granting him a clear view of the dragons as they fought each other in midair. There was no further escape. In a last-ditch effort to protect her from any stray attacks, Kouseikei laid Palkia on the ground and covered her body with his own. He closed his eyes tightly, bracing himself for the worst.

"Kousei…"

She had regained consciousness at last. Kouseikei opened one of his eyes slightly, and caught sight of a purple-tinged dome of energy surrounding the two of them.

'_Protect…' _he thought, recognizing the nature of the dome.

At that very moment, one of the battling dragons was overcome. Defeated and sporting a bloody gash on his abdomen, he flew away with a whimper. Kouseikei was so relieved that it took him some time to realize that Palkia was touching him at the side of the face, where he was wounded.

"I am so sorry for letting this happen," she whispered. "I am not the best healer among the Legends, but I just might be able to…"

A cool feeling spread over his cheek. When she finally withdrew her hand, Kouseikei gingerly felt his skin. It was perfectly smooth, without any trace of a bruise.

Another draconic cry, softer this time, made them look up. They saw a third Salamence, clearly a female, flying up to meet the victor. As though to mirror the actions of the mortal man and the Goddess of Space, she nuzzled him on the face, accepting him as her mate. She then flapped her wings to soar higher, calling on the male to join her in the dance.

Kouseikei and Palkia watched, transfixed, as the pair flew in graceful rising spirals, occasionally combining their Fire-typed attacks to embellish their performance. After they had flown so high that they appeared as tiny figures to the ones in the ravine, the male and female interlocked talons, letting gravity do its work for them as they halted their flight. In a dangerous yet thrilling display, they fell out of the sky, not parting from each other until they were dangerously close to the ravine floor. And when they finally did separate, they flew side by side back into the thick mist, leaving the trail of destruction behind them.

'_The draconic courtship dance,' _Kouseikei thought. _'I never thought it could look so beautiful in the wild…'_

Palkia let out a small cough, and to his horror, Kouseikei realized that he had lain on her far longer than what was necessary. He quickly withdrew from her in embarrassment, murmuring an apology as he touched his forehead to the ground before her. Palkia kindly told him to rise, saying that she should be the one apologizing for having failed to protect him better.

"Will you ever forgive me for my negligence, my friend?" she asked, her eyes showing sincere regret.

"It's not your fault, my Lady," Kouseikei reassured her. He would have wanted to meet her in the eye, but he was still blushing. "Not your fault at all."

After she healed herself with the same technique she used on him, they spent a few minutes weighing up their situation. Fortunately they lost nothing in the mayhem, and they had spare rope to replace the one broken by the Salamence. Working together, they scaled back up the ravine, moving slowly but carefully to prevent any further mishap. Both breathed out sighs of relief once they reached the top of the gorge. A wide blanket of grassy land lay spread before them, calm and serene.

The Long Plateau.

"What is this?" Kouseikei asked, kneeling to inspect a flat leaf-shaped material of a bluish color lying on the ground.

"It's a Dragon Scale," Palkia answered, recognizing the item at once. "You should keep it, Kousei. It is very valuable, and it may be of use to you one day."

…o0o…

_Note:_

_The space compression technique a.k.a. the magic satchel or hammerspace is widely used in various mythology and media. Heck, if you're wondering how the hero in the Pokémon games could lug around a vast selection of items in his or her knapsack despite the obvious size limit, the thought of Palkia doing the same with their baggage may not be so far-fetched after all._


	8. Lamb Among Wolves

_Author's notes__:_

_Sorry for the long gaps between chapter uploads. I confess that I did slack off a bit regarding writing even though I have enough free time to do it. _This _time, I will make sure to discipline myself. Don't worry; I am in no way abandoning this story. May the Dragon Trio eat me if I did. Also, I do hope you are not grossed out by the protagonists eating Pokémon for food. A trivial warning, I know, but I want to say that in advance to prepare those who may find that topic a bit touchy. _

_The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri._

…o0o…

**Part II: Healing the Wings**

**Chapter II: Lamb Among Wolves**

It took a while for Kouseikei to adjust to the peacefulness of the Long Plateau. Compared to their perilous experience in the Salamence-inhabited Dragons' Ravine, walking through the pleasantly windy grassland seemed like a new universe entirely. Palkia, on the other hand, appeared to have successfully driven the earlier mishap to the back of her mind, and looked as calm as the land itself.

"The sun is close to reaching its noontime zenith," she said after they have walked for a long time. "Soon we would have to pause for a break and take our midday meal."

He looked up at the sky, shielding his eyes slightly from the glare of the sun. Indeed, the bright circle of light was almost at its peak position. The heat spoke of it too, Kouseikei just realized. However, instead of making him feel sluggish, the warm temperature imbued him with energy. He ought to thank his partial Dragon-typing for that, and Kouseikei wondered if Palkia shared his sentiments because of their common typing.

'_Oh, but I should have remembered that she's part-Water as well,' _Kouseikei thought._ 'Despite their resistance to Fire, Water-types are not too fond of harsh sunlight. I hope this is not too inconvenient for her; if my memories don't fail me, we would also have to travel in a desert for the journey to be complete…'_

"It is well and good that we reached this place by now," Palkia continued. "Look, there's that wide river nearby."

True enough, there was a rippling lane of running water just a few more minutes' walk away. Small flocks of brown Pidgeys hovered overhead, occasionally flying low over the river's surface to get a drink of its clear water. Kouseikei followed Palkia to its banks, and he saw a tantalizing sight of several live Magikarp being carried away by the gentle-moving current. It was only then that he realized how hungry he was.

"You wouldn't mind having Magikarp for lunch, would you?" she asked.

"Not at all, my Lady," he replied, his sharp eyes not leaving their expected prey. "I could catch them for us if you wish."

Palkia agreed to that plan. She set out to gather dry branches from a small clump of prickly bushes as Kouseikei prepared to wade into the wide but otherwise shallow river. He had experience in catching Magikarp before, and he knew that compared to their fearful evolved forms, the weak fish could be easily caught with a well-timed snatch. That bit of exercise was one of the easier tasks that Shelgons have to take in their training after all.

After rolling up his trousers, Kouseikei stepped into the river. The knee-deep water wasn't too warm or too cold, and the rocks littering its bottom, while smooth, were devoid of moss. That was a good thing, because he didn't want to slip and lose his footing at such a shallow depth. There were more Magikarp splashing their way downstream. He caught sight of a Swellow taking advantage of the moment to grab one of the unexpected bounties in a swift dive. Kouseikei couldn't help thinking what an impressive dive it was, but he nonetheless flexed the fingers of his right hand and readied himself for the first Magikarp that would come his way.

A high-pitched shriek directly above him made Kouseikei lose concentration. He looked up, only to see the shadow of the same Swellow pass over him briefly. The glossy avian let its neatly-caught Magikarp fall, still-struggling, right into Kouseikei's hands. Shocked as he was, Kouseikei managed to hold out his hands in time and prevent the quarry from escaping back into the water. It was a good-sized fish, big enough for him and Palkia to share.

"You seem to have made a friend back there," he heard Palkia say from where she had coaxed a lively blaze out of a pile of branches. Clearly, she had seen the unusual actions of the Swellow.

The young Salamence waded back to the shore with the caught fish in hand, hindered slightly by the shoal of live Magikarp that bumped against his limbs and briefly clogged the river as they were carried downstream. Once back on land, Kouseikei gutted the fish and handed it over to Palkia to be cooked.

"That was _unexpected _of a Swellow_, _to say the least," he acknowledged as he dried his legs and put his footwear back on. The Swellow in question was sitting atop a nearby rock while preening its feathers, but otherwise it did not appear to be any more interested in the two dragons who were watching it closely. "But I am thankful for its generosity nonetheless."

"It caught our food for us," Palkia said. She had finished whittling a straight branch smooth and was now skewering the fish with it. "We ought to at least share this with the kind-hearted Swellow, but by the looks of it, the Flying-type doesn't seem to be hungry."

"Yes, and…" Kouseikei broke off, frowning slightly. He had been observing the avian, and he just noticed that there was an anomaly in the feather pattern on its chest. Normal Swellows had a red neck with a single blue stripe that dipped into a sharp V at the breast, but that Swellow's dual-colored pattern tapered into two points instead of a single one, forming a W down its chest.

_That _pattern… he had positively seen it before. It was after the ceremony in which he evolved into a Salamence… It was in the forest, just before he–

"Kousei?" Palkia asked, looking at her mortal friend quizzically. His silence and abrupt breaking off worried her.

Kouseikei blinked several times before shaking off his stupor.

"Oh, it's nothing, my Lady," he replied, an apologetic look on his face. To make up for unintentionally making her anxious, the mortal dragon took to assisting her with their meal as it roasted over the fire.

Palkia's keen sense of sight did not miss the queer expression that appeared on Kouseikei's face for a brief second, but she kept silent about it. It was a mix of both sadness and bitterness, as though he was reliving a memory that was especially painful for him. It would be insensitive of her to make him talk about that matter, considering that they hadn't known each other for that long yet.

"Just our luck, I found something near the bushes where I got the firewood," the purple-haired deity said, changing the topic. "There is plenty more where I got it from, but it seems this would suffice for both of us." She held up a leafy plant with its large tuberous root still intact. Kouseikei recognized it as an edible root crop that grew in abundance in grassy plains.

"Please let me prepare it, Lady Palkia," the Salamence said, taking the plant from her. After washing it in the river to remove any remaining soil that stuck to it, he hacked the beige-colored root from the rest of the plant. As he did so, Kouseikei expressed that it would taste a lot better if they rubbed it with salt before they cooked it, but salt was such a rarity among the Salamence that it was only used for feasts. To his surprise, Palkia took out a bag of the white crystals.

"Genuine sea salt," he mouthed in amazement.

"Take as much as you need," she told him. "I didn't know what possessed me to bring this along, but at least it will be put to good use. I get plenty of these as offerings from the Kingdra. The close proximity of their citadel to the sea enables them to easily refine salt out of seawater."

'_Understandable enough,' _Kouseikei thought. He dabbed his fingertips into the crystals and rubbed them into the skin of the tuber. Afterwards, the young dragon cut several steam outlets into the rhizome. Deftly poking the prepared tuber with a sharpened stick, he positioned it beside their roasting Magikarp. Once this was done, he took the discarded leaves of the plant and threw them into the fire. Palkia, who had been watching his actions intently, raised her eyebrows at this until she caught a whiff of the fragrant cloud of steam that emanated from the burning leaves.

"Many simply discard that tuber's leaves as waste," Kouseikei explained. "But they do impart a tangy aftertaste to game and fish that's been roasted over their steam."

Palkia looked at him admiringly.

"You are a good cook in your own right, Kousei."

Kouseikei blushed ever so slightly, but he grinned a little. He had invented many recipes on how to prepare wild game or fish while on excursions to search for samples of the dragon-scale stone. Of course, he had done it more to amuse himself than anything, and there was plenty of trial-and-error involved. Many a time his experiments were disappointments, but it didn't prove to be a thorough waste of time. He had learned quite a number of hidden ways by which ordinary edibles of the wild could bring out flavor in meals, and the tuber leaf was one of them. Just because one was in the wilderness doesn't mean food must be unappetizing.

"I… I don't think I really deserve that compliment, but… I thank you, my Lady."

At that moment, the Swellow with the chest-pattern anomaly finished preening itself. Stretching its wings, it took to the sky and flew away, leaving the two dragons by the riverbank.

…o0o…

They continued their journey after lunch. Palkia had been very complimentary with the tuber leaf-enhanced meal Kouseikei concocted, and by her manner he knew that she was sincere. The dragoness had also enlightened him further regarding the ritual to awaken Jirachi as they ate. There was a cairn built on each of the hallowed sites they were to visit, she explained. The gist of the ritual was that the mortal and his immortal guide must place an offering in the cairn, and the Wishmaker will awaken once all the cairns have obtained the required offering.

"What exactly is the required offering, my Lady?" Kouseikei had inquired.

"It's a lot simpler than you probably think," Palkia explained in return. "It's just a stone that I will imbue with a proof of both our powers."

The mortal dragon didn't quite understand what it meant by a proof of their powers, but Palkia patiently explained that it was merely a way to verify that the person attempting the ritual was accompanied by an immortal.

"You must remember what I told you," she continued. "No mortal can undertake this quest unless he has someone among the deities to guide him."

And regarding the final place that she had kept secret from him, she finally revealed, "Once the four cairns that are readily accessible in this physical world have received the offerings, we will be granted access to the final cairn… the one in the defensive barrier around the Wishmaker's domain: the Place of Knives, in the Realm of Ephemerals. We will find ourselves in Jirachi's doorstep once that's done."

Kouseikei knew of the Place of Knives from bedtime stories that he had heard as a Bagon, but until Palkia confirmed it he didn't realize that such a place really existed. The Realm of Ephemerals, as he was taught by Salamence elders, was another name for the dimension where many of the deities took abode, and it included the Empyrean, the highest of the celestial residences where the palace of the Original One was believed to be located. It was said that the Realm of Ephemerals was actually tightly interwoven with the mortal dimension, but only a privileged few could enter it while still in the mortal coil. Kouseikei would have wanted to ask Palkia more about the nature of the Place of Knives and the Realm of Ephemerals, but he chose to save his questions for a later time.

Afternoon proved to be breezier than earlier parts of the day. Kouseikei's affinity with the Wind especially liked this, and had his wings been healed right then and there he would have gladly rediscovered the rhythm of flying without further ado. Palkia apparently noticed his upbeat mood, for he saw her smiling at him several times. Amazingly, he found it easy to smile back at her.

Realizing that the risk of sunburned skin was already minimized, they had taken off their traveling cloaks as the sun's rays became less harsh. Although Palkia kept her long hair tied back in a low ponytail, she let it hang down her back to flow freely with the wind. Objectively, Kouseikei thought that it suited her considerably better if she did not tie it back, but he didn't know how to tell her his opinion without sounding like he was intruding.

"The Long Plateau wasn't given that name for nothing," Palkia said softly. They had passed by several scattered homesteads, but there still wasn't much of a road despite the presence of civilization. Even though the elevated plain was mostly composed of grassland, there were occasional pockets of forest, such as the thin line of woods that now rose to their right. "It covers such a substantial amount of land, that even if we do not get sidetracked, it will take three more days' walk to reach the cairn. You're still not tired, Kousei?"

"I'm as fine as I can be, my Lady. I feel like I can run for miles if I have to." He was casually observing the forest as he said this, and for a brief second he thought he saw what looked like a small light-furred creature among the trees. However, it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"It may be so," she replied, chuckling, "but it won't hurt to go slowly. We are not racing against _time,_ you now."

Upon hearing Palkia's indirect reference to Dialga, Kouseikei found himself losing a bit of the carefree attitude that he just possessed. The Lady of Space's Temporal brother had escaped his thoughts until that moment, and he hadn't paused to wonder how Dialga must have felt about his older sister assisting a man who had shamed her. Surely, it took a lot of convincing on Palkia's part for Dialga to concede to such a plan? Knowing the Time God, he wouldn't so easily forgive the flightless Salamence for what he had done…

"It's a flock of Mareep!" Palkia exclaimed excitedly, interrupting Kouseikei's thoughts. He instinctively followed her line of sight, and true enough, there was a small gathering of the woolly creatures not far from where they were. The sheep were bleating so loudly, Kouseikei and Palkia had no trouble hearing the cacophony of their voices.

"They sound distressed," Kouseikei remarked, frowning a little.

"Now that you said that, it does seem so," she agreed, mirroring his expression. "Would you mind if we take a closer look?"

"Not at all, Lady Palkia."

And so the two dragons hurried to the tight circle of fluffy wool. Despite the creatures' rather innocent appearance, Kouseikei and Palkia were careful not to surprise them with their presence. The electricity in all that wool could pack quite a punch when in a group.

"There seems to be a little boy right there," the Salamence said, gesturing to the middle of the converged Mareep.

"We mean no harm," Palkia tried to assure the Mareep, who were bleating even louder. Some of them were even beginning to release small amounts of static from their fur.

"Wh-who's there?" a weak voice called out. Kouseikei was right; there was a small boy lying sprawled on the ground at the center of the flock, and he was clearly in pain.

Palkia had managed to squeeze her way through the Mareep, followed closely by her mortal companion. The tiny electrical shocks the Mareep gave off weren't strong enough to make their hair stand on the end, but they were sufficient to make their skin prickle. Kouseikei noted that the small creatures were unwilling to attack them, and they even parted a little to enable the dragons to reach the boy.

"How can we help you, my child?" Palkia said. She hurriedly knelt beside the boy and gently placed a hand on his forehead.

"Th-there was a G-Gulpin!" he blurted out, his small frightened face crumpling into an expression of pain. "I-it got me! I-I stepped on it by accident wh-while I was herding our M-Mareep and i-it squirted poison r-right at me!"

"Shhh…" Palkia whispered to the boy soothingly. She had reached within her robes and extracted what Kouseikei recognized was a Pecha berry. "Here, eat this. You will be cured of the poisoning in no time at all."

Kouseikei helped the child sit upright so he can partake of the medicine. Like Palkia, he patted the boy's back to make him relax as the berry's healing properties began to manifest. Much to their relief, the purplish tint on the child's skin vanished quickly as soon as he had eaten the whole berry. From the zigzag patterns on his brown short-cropped hair and the black protective mask he wore around his eyes, one can infer that he was a Zigzagoon, the pre-evolution of the Linoone ethnic group.

"That's much better, isn't it?" Palkia said. She smiled as the boy looked at them with obvious gratitude. "See, your Mareep are happy for you too." As though to affirm her statement, several of the sheep leaped up and down to express their jubilation.

The dragons assisted the Zigzagoon boy as he attempted to stand up, but no sooner was this done when he cried out in pain yet again. Kouseikei instinctively caught the child as he lost his balance and toppled to the side. The Mareep once more began bleating in concern.

"What is wrong?" Kouseikei inquired before Palkia had the chance to ask the same question, supporting the boy's weight with his own.

"My leg!" the young Zigzagoon blurted out. The Space Dragoness and the Salamence gasped collectively, and Palkia moved to inspect the injured limb.

"It isn't crooked out of shape, though," she whispered after feeling for any bones that may have dislocated.

"But he can't seem to put any weight on it," Kouseikei remarked. "Perhaps he cracked a bone or two when he fought that Gulpin."

"Either way, we can't just leave him here," Palkia said, standing up. She looked at Kouseikei apologetically, since they both knew what this implied. "We would have to take him home. I am really sorry, but we would have to delay continuing our journey for a while."

"He needs help far more than I," Kouseikei answered, not minding the setback at all. Addressing the little boy, he asked, "What is your name, little one? And where do you live?"

"M-my name is Bokuchi, sir," the Zigzagoon boy replied. "I live with my parents a little bit beyond where the woods end." He pointed to where the thin line of forest at their right came to an abrupt stop. It didn't take much too see that it was still quite a distance away.

"We will get you home, Bokuchi," Palkia told him. She then introduced themselves to the small child. "My name is Kiya, and this is Kousei. Seeing that your home is still far from here, we'd better get you and your Mareep back before nightfall overtakes us."

"I can carry him on my back, Kiya," Kouseikei said, using the Goddess of Space's alias for the first time. "That is, unless you want me to herd the Mareep instead."

"No, that is fine. Hopefully they will not mind me shepherding them for now." The tone of her voice was not extraordinary, but Kouseikei saw her eyes briefly shimmer with amusement when she heard him call her Kiya.

"They will understand, Miss Kiya," Bokuchi assured. "Please take my staff, and they will follow you without question. It's just there, lying on the ground."

Palkia helped lift Bokuchi so Kouseikei can carry him piggyback before she retrieved the shepherd's staff. As though on cue, the Mareep flocked around her and obediently looked to her for directions.

"The darlings," she said with a pleased expression. She patted the blue fur-less cheek of one Mareep, and it gave an appreciative croon in reply. After a few moments of familiarizing herself with the little flock, she nodded to Kouseikei to tell him that they were ready to go.

And so they began their walk back to where Bokuchi lived. Kouseikei, guided by the directions of the young boy he carried on his back, went slightly ahead of Palkia and the Mareep. The little Zigzagoon behaved himself throughout the journey, making minimal movements to avoid causing the Salamence difficulty. Not that he posed much of a burden to Kouseikei in the first place; Bokuchi was rather young and light, and the wind of the Long Plateau was more than enough to keep the young man's strength up.

"She's very lovely, isn't she?" Bokuchi remarked softly in Kouseikei's ear. Obviously, he was referring to Palkia.

"Yes, she is," Kouseikei agreed, looking at the figure of the Goddess of Space from the corner of his eye. It was an unusual sight to see a powerful deity undertaking a task like shepherding Mareep, and Kouseikei was extremely touched by Palkia's uncalled-for gesture. Assuming the mantle of a mortal to help a poor Salamence regain his wing was more than enough of a kind gesture on her part, and yet she didn't think twice about helping a Zigzagoon child they just happened to stumble upon. Considering how menial such a duty must seem compared to what she had to do as the Spatial Overseer, the fact that Palkia took on the job without so much a complaint was commendable, indeed.

"You are handsome too, sir," Bokuchi added. After a pause, he asked, "Are you her husband?"

Kouseikei's eyes widened comically, and he blushed before he could help it. In an attempt to keep his composure, the Salamence resolutely kept his line of sight on the road ahead. He could hardly believe his ears. Thank goodness Bokuchi didn't voice the question out loud for Palkia to hear. Surely, the boy was joking? But he seemed perfectly serious when he asked…

"No, I am not her husband," Kouseikei replied, trying his best to sound untroubled. "She is a good friend of mine, and she was just so kind to help me complete a journey that I have to take."

Kouseikei didn't see it, but Bokuchi seemed honestly disappointed by the answer.

"Oh," the Zigzagoon whispered, resting his chin on the young Salamence's shoulder. "But I think you look really good together, Sir Kousei."

…o0o…

The gratitude of Bokuchi's Linoone parents reached the heavens when they found out what Palkia and Kouseikei had done. It turned out that Bokuchi's father had come down with a high fever that day and was unable to do the usual task of herding their Mareep flock. Eager to help his parents, Bokuchi had offered to bring the sheep to pasture for that day while his mother stayed at home to nurse his ailing father. He had experience herding Mareep on his own, but never before had he been injured while at the task. It was no small wonder that his parents were so grateful to the dragons.

"It was most fortunate that you happened to find him," the female Linoone said as she penned the Mareep into their enclosure for the night. "Please, my good sir and madam, stay with us tonight. The sun is about to set down the horizon, and you won't encounter another settlement for a few more miles."

Kouseikei left it to Palkia to give the approval, and she graciously accepted the Linoone's offer. The woman told them to hurry ahead to the house and make themselves at home. She just had to do a thorough count of the Mareep to check if every single one was accounted for.

Bokuchi's father, despite his illness, had chosen to appear before the visitors to show them his thanks for saving his son. They found him, bundled up in a lot of Mareep-wool blankets, sitting on a well-cushioned chair by the hearth. He immediately gestured to Palkia and Kouseikei to share in the warmth of the fire. Bokuchi sat beside his father, hardly able to suppress his glee that the two dragons were staying with them for a while.

But barely had Palkia and Kouseikei taken their seats when the front door opened to reveal Bokuchi's mother. A look of worry and exasperation was on her face.

"What's the matter, dear?" the father asked.

"It's Eikyuu," was the answer. "That stubborn one is not among the others."

Palkia and Kouseikei looked at each other with alarm. A Mareep had apparently slipped from their midst.

"Please don't blame yourselves," the female Linoone immediately told their guests. "That Mareep was mischief personified, and he had caused us this same kind of trouble many times. We thought that that bell collar was enough to keep us informed whenever he's sneaking off…"

"None of the Mareep we found with Bokuchi had a bell collar on," Kouseikei said, coming to Palkia's defense. He knew she must be feeling at fault, since she was the one who had looked after the sheep as they escorted the Zigzagoon home.

"He must have taken the opportunity to slip away when that Gulpin got me!" Bokuchi exclaimed. His small voice was irritated, but his expression betrayed devastation. "The little menace!"

"Eikyuu doesn't stray far," Bokuchi's father said. "He may be mischievous, but he is as afraid of Poochyena as Fire is afraid of Water."

"_All _sheep are afraid of those night wolves, dear," his wife replied. "And at this rate, it would be lucky if we find him alive tomorrow."

"Please allow me to find the Mareep," Kouseikei said abruptly, standing up. "There is still some daylight left and there just might be a chance that…"

All the people in the room looked at him with disbelief.

"Don't trouble yourself about Eikyuu, son," the male Linoone said, frowning at the young Salamence. "It would not be wise to go out there with Poochyena and Mightyena running amok."

"My clan also had trouble with night wolves," Kouseikei answered. "I know how to fight them should the need arise."

"You do not even know where Eikyuu may have gone," Bokuchi's mother added. "Searching for a stray Mareep around here would be like searching for a needle in a haystack."

"I saw a light-colored creature in the forest close to where we found Bokuchi. Now that I think about it, it was most likely a Mareep. If Eikyuu doesn't stray far, he may still be around there."

"Kousei…"

Palkia's pleading voice was something he could not ignore. He met her eye, and she seemed the closest to tears as he had seen her yet. He knelt at her feet and placed a comforting hand on her knee. Bokuchi and his family observed the two dragons intently.

"This is to help the family," Kouseikei whispered to her. "I will be all right, I promise. I must leave while there is still light if I am to increase my chances of finding Eikyuu."

"Then at least let me go with you…"

"Kiya," he said, mentioning her nickname with extra fervor, "I can do this. Please trust me."

No further amount of dissuading could make Kouseikei budge. With much reluctance, Bokuchi's family and Palkia let him search for the straying Mareep. Bokuchi's mother prepared a lamp for him, and the father made him give his word that he will abandon the search if he didn't find Eikyuu after dusk had fully set in. He wouldn't have one of his son's saviors place his life on the line for a mere Mareep.

Palkia followed Kouseikei until they were outside the main entrance of the house. Once she was alone with Kouseikei, she finally expressed herself.

"You nearly perished protecting me in the Dragons' Ravine," the deity said softly. "You do not have to pay for my errors one more time."

Kouseikei laid the lamp on the ground and turned to give Palkia his undivided attention. She had her head bowed, and he placed a finger under her chin to gently raise her gaze to meet his. His ebony eyes were benevolent, without a trace of malice.

"On the contrary, my Lady," he replied in the same soft tone, "I doubt if I have repaid your kindness well enough, or even come close to equaling it. Besides, it would be wrong to blame you for the loss of the Mareep."

"But…"

"We both heard Bokuchi," he said firmly, trying a new angle that may help him convince the deity. "He may have called Eikyuu a menace, but it was plain that he's fond of that Mareep. It would make Lady Palkia sad if we left the child in tears, right?"

Palkia struggled back a smile.

"You read me well, Kouseikei," she answered.

"You read me just as well, my Lady," he said, smiling. "Believe me; I would also feel bad if we just stood by and did nothing to help the young one get his companion Mareep back. So please, set your heart at ease. I will return to you, and we will reach Jirachi together."

The Spatial Overseer placed her right hand on his left shoulder, squeezing it softly.

"Then my blessing is with you, my friend. Tarry not; Eikyuu is waiting."

Palkia took the lamp from the ground and handed it to Kouseikei. The young Salamence deeply bowed to her before he turned and went off to the fields in search of the lamb that might have strayed among the wolves. Little did he know that the goddess' strongest sentiments were in fact the ones that she kept unvoiced, hidden deep inside her heart.

'_And _I_ will be waiting for you, Kouseikei.'_

…o0o…

_Note__:_

_Fish-catching by hand as a form of military training was obviously inspired by a similar instance in Disney's _Mulan. _Remember Mulan (or Ping as she was at the time) grabbing Yao by the ankle on the first try, anyone?_


	9. True Wind

_Author's notes:_

_Many things about Kousei are revealed in this chapter, although quite a few of you may have already implied them due to hints in the previous chapters. Go ahead and check if your hunches are right!_

_The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri._

…o0o…

**Part II: Healing the Wings**

**Chapter III: True Wind**

The air currents were on Kouseikei's side. They pushed him forward from behind, and the young dragon, flightless though he may be, instinctively took on a more streamlined stride that brought this to his advantage. Soon he was sprinting across the steadily darkening fields with the fleet-footedness of a Flying-type. As the night drew ever so closer, the stars, harbingers of Palkia's presence, winked to life one by one, as though to offer the young Salamence further encouragement in his endeavor.

'_Lady Palkia,' _Kouseikei thought as he beheld the points of light illuminating the inky heavens, _'I know that you trust me on this. I will not fail you, I promise…'_

The dimming daylight forced Kouseikei to slow down and pay closer attention to his surroundings. His eyes, like those of other Salamence, were not built for nocturnal vision. However, their knowledge of the workings of the Wind made up for the lack, enabling them to hear for long distances or even to pick up faraway scents if they were skilled enough. Kouseikei relied on his Wind-sense now. Although his wings were useless at that point, the fact remained that he was a fully-evolved Salamence, and could call upon the Wind element for many purposes other than flight.

For some reason, Kouseikei's sense of hearing refused to cooperate. Sounds were indeed amplified to him now that he had called the Wind for assistance, but eerily he found out that he could not tell where their sources were. Undaunted by this setback, he decided to attempt finding the Mareep by its scent.

'_There is no scent of blood around here,' _he observed as he walked among the grasses. Kouseikei noted that he was near the place where he and Palkia discovered Bokuchi, and chances are the straying Mareep was also nearby._ 'It may not be too late yet…'_

The young dragon approached the thin line of woods, keeping his eyes alert for any suspicious element that may come his way. With the aid of the lamp, Kouseikei carefully looked at the underbrush for any trace of a pale-furred creature that had walked the path. At the same time, he took in the smells of the forest, using them to discover what creatures lay within.

'_The dusky scent of the night wolves… There _are_ Poochyena and Mightyena, all right. I've got to watch my back.'_

With great effort, Kouseikei finally managed to isolate the foreign smell of Mareep wool from the prevalent scent of earth and grasses. Having discovered this lead, he followed the trail purposefully. However, he soon realized that he had to hurry. The smell of night wolves were also on the trail of the Mareep, and it was a race as to whether it was a wolf or a dragon that got to it first.

As Kouseikei quickened his pace, he mentally berated himself for having allowed his sound and scent differentiation skills to falter. Gyokuei's death had apparently caused him to neglect that bit of training which remained compulsory even though he was an artisan, no longer viewed as a promising warrior. If Kouseikei had been at his best shape, he could have discerned Eikyuu's scent almost instantly.

_And he could have detected the Salamence in the Dragons' Ravine before he and Palkia got into trouble with them…_

'_Come to think of it,'_ Kouseikei thought to himself bitterly, _'my sense of smell seems to have gone flat. Everything lacks depth, and it's getting harder to tell one scent from another. What is the matter with me? And how long have I been like this?'_

His thoughts were cut off by a small burst of light many meters before him. The woods were quite thick in that region, and had effectively hidden the light from the young dragon until that very moment. It didn't take much to realize that the point of brightness came from the tail of a Mareep running as fast as its four stubby legs could carry it. Many small dark forms, howling and barking, were chasing after the frightened creature.

Poochyena.

"Leave him alone!" Kouseikei roared. Realizing that the lamp was slowing him down, he quickly discarded his light source and ran towards the fray at full speed. He held out his right hand, summoning a small whirlwind into his palm. The whirlwind briefly glowed a royal purple before it took on a more solid shape, and it wasn't long before the Salamence had his fighting halberd materialized in his grasp.

Kouseikei swung his weapon before him in a fierce backhand half-circle. His action sent forth a powerful wave of wind that knocked several Poochyena high into the air before they could reach the poor Mareep, which they had already managed to surround. The young Salamence was beside the young sheep in the blink of an eye, growling deeply as most dragons do, in attempting to intimidate their foes.

For a brief moment, it seemed to hold the Poochyena back. However, a bold few regained their courage and ran forward, their teeth bared as they prepared their attack. Kouseikei speedily dodged the first small wolf that came his way. He pinned the second down to the ground by the flat side of his halberd blade, and grabbed another by the fur at the base of its neck. As he was throwing the third wolf aside, a fourth Poochyena pounced upon him on his chest. The force of impact threw the dragon backwards, but Kouseikei skillfully manipulated his body movements such that he rolled in a way that had the Poochyena beneath him. He held down the struggling wolf and incapacitated it with a Dragon Claw attack before he got up once again. Kouseikei channeled Fire through his halberd, sending multiple Poochyena howling with fear as the weapon slashed through their ranks. The young Salamence thought that he had finally repelled the pack, but a new growl, deeper and more menacing than the others, proved otherwise.

Kouseikei looked over his shoulders and found himself locking eyes with the lone Mightyena of the pack. The lead wolf had his teeth bared, obviously furious at the stubborn and untimely intrusion in their hunt. His eyes glinted with cunning, and the way the limited light shone upon his dark fur made him quite beautiful in a deadly sort of way. Kouseikei, nevertheless, did not allow himself to fall for the Mightyena's intimidation tactics.

"If you want the Mareep, you have to get past _me,"_ he taunted the pack leader. Kouseikei assumed his battle stance, keeping his halberd blade on the alert for the assault. The smaller wolves moved aside and formed a loose circle about the combatants and the still-cowering Mareep, eager to see what the outcome will be.

It was the Mightyena that made the first move. The large wolf lunged at the dragon with its teeth aimed at the neck. Kouseikei managed to block the attack in time, although he had to firmly anchor his feet to the ground to avoid being caught off-balance. The Mightyena, evidently a veteran of many battles, landed on his feet the moment Kouseikei parried his assault. The wolf attacked him once again, and this time, the Mightyena utilized its claws and drew blood from the mortal dragon's right arm. The young Salamence slashed at the night wolf with his blade in offense. Although the Mightyena was quite nimble, Kouseikei successfully inflicted several wounds on the wolf's shanks. The Mightyena growled, more furious than ever. Kouseikei snarled back, baring his sharpened teeth. He was unwilling to kill the Mightyena, but he would fight him with all his strength if he had to.

The dragon and the wolf circled each other on the battlefield, as though daring each other to make the next move. After what seemed like a long stalemate, the lead wolf's eyes abruptly shifted their gaze. Kouseikei thought he saw the Mightyena smirk evilly at him before it suddenly ran towards Eikyuu, who now lay unprotected.

'_Oh no, you won't!'_

Time appeared to slow down as Kouseikei moved to outrun the Mightyena, but a strong burst of electricity stunned friend and foe alike. Eikyuu, bleating a loud cry of distress, let out a Discharge amplified by his fear. It was so powerful that Kouseikei and the night wolf pack were thrown to the ground, their senses gone haywire thanks to the shock. This proved to be the final blow for the Mightyena and his underlings, who were already worn out from fighting Kouseikei. The lead wolf howled the retreat order, and the smaller Poochyena were only too happy to oblige. They half-ran, half-limped away from the dragon and the Mareep, their whimpers slowly dying out in the night air.

Kouseikei struggled to open his eyes. He was briefly knocked out by the electrical shock, and his body felt foreign to him. The young dragon tried to get up, but pain shot through his nerves so sharply, he thought he was going to pass out again. No doubt, he was paralyzed by the Discharge.

A concerned bleat sounded above him. Kouseikei felt Eikyuu rubbing his fur-less blue face against his cheek, as though attempting to make the Salamence feel better. The little sheep's bell tinkled softly in Kouseikei's ear, and in spite of his pain he couldn't help but smile.

"So you could actually take care of yourself, huh?" he weakly whispered to the Mareep. He would have patted the young sheep, had it not been for the paralysis. At this rate, how was he going to get back to Palkia and the others? And should another wolf pack come upon them, he would not be able to fend them off…

The sound of flapping wings made Kouseikei's ears perk up. What was this? His mind screamed at him to get up, but he could only manage to move his arms slightly. The last thing he wanted was a Zubat, or worse, a Golbat coming up at him to drain him of his remaining energy when he could not fight back.

But it wasn't a bat that alighted upon his shoulder. It was a Swellow. Eikyuu bleated at it angrily, but the avian shushed the lamb with a sharp flap of the wing. The Swellow hopped to Kouseikei's hand, and on his open palm deposited a round, red-colored berry. It was the Cheri variant, known for curing paralysis. Not pausing to think, Kouseikei painfully crammed the medicine into his mouth, letting its healing properties take into effect. When he was once more in command of his motor systems, he gingerly sat up. Eikyuu let out a small cry of joy.

"It's time to go home," Kouseikei told the little Mareep sternly. He then turned to look at the Swellow, who had taken back to the air in flight. Kouseikei had only moments to discern the two tapering points on the Flying-type's chest before it disappeared back into the darkness of the woods, not even allowing the Salamence to give it a word of thanks for its second act of generosity.

…o0o…

"Just how many Swellows are willing to give a Salamence unconditional aid?" Palkia casually wondered. She and Kouseikei were on a sunlit field, surrounded by contentedly grazing Mareep. They had taken over shepherding the livestock of Bokuchi's family for the time being, until the worst of the father's fever had abated.

Kouseikei did not know the answer to the question either. The young Salamence plucked a blade of grass and fiddled with it, as though by doing so he could come up with a reply. He had told his immortal guide about the new incident with the Swellow, and she was as perplexed by this new development as he expected her to be. Palkia's concern for Kouseikei was especially evident the night before, when he came back to the homestead with the lost Mareep in his arms. Although the goddess remained discreet, she made sure that her mortal charge's minor injuries were well taken care of, and Kouseikei was simultaneously touched and gratified by her efforts. He did not, however, tell her of the anomalies he encountered in his Wind-sense. The last thing he wanted would be to cause more problems to the Goddess of Space.

A Mareep with a bell collar went up to the two dragons. Eikyuu affectionately rubbed his face against Kouseikei's knee before moving to curl up on the young Salamence's lap. Palkia chuckled a little.

"Eikyuu seems to have taken quite a liking to you, Kousei," Palkia commented as the mortal dragon patted the now-sleeping Mareep on the head.

"He was quite scared during the wolf encounter," Kouseikei said, smiling slightly. "At least he seems to have learned from it. He has not left our sight all this time, my Lady."

Palkia nodded slightly in assent. She moved to stroke the soft fur of several Mareep that had similarly converged around them to take a nap. The little flock had become rather fond of their two dragon shepherds, and the sheep no longer zapped them with tiny jolts of electricity whenever either of them touched the furry creatures.

"At least, Bokuchi's father seems to be quickly recovering," she said, changing the topic. "If his progress continues, he'll be perfectly fine by tonight, and we will be able to continue our journey tomorrow morning."

"I hope all this delay hasn't inconvenienced my Lady much," Kouseikei whispered.

"Worry not, it hasn't. On the contrary, I was worried that _you _would already be exasperated at our lack of progress."

Kouseikei chuckled slightly, but he affirmed that the delay hadn't dampened his spirits at all. He moved to lie down on the soft grass, letting the breeze play with his dark turquoise hair.

…o0o…

Palkia's prediction was accurate; by nightfall the male Linoone was fit enough to help around in the chores of the house. The Space Dragoness expressed their request that she and Kouseikei be allowed to leave by morning, and the parents readily agreed. Bokuchi, however, was more reluctant about letting Palkia and Kouseikei leave.

"Why do you have to go so soon?" the young Zigzagoon had inquired of Palkia. Bokuchi's stride had improved, and although he still couldn't run, he could already walk around without the aid of a crutch.

"Now there, son, you know that our guests have their own journey," his father had answered before Palkia could express a word to soothe the little one. "It would be most inconsiderate of us to keep them here for one more day."

To make the parting a little easier, Palkia had given Bokuchi a small conical shell, cream in color but with an attractive pattern of brown tessellated triangulates scattered throughout. The shell by itself was already a pretty thing to behold, but Palkia then blew into a tiny hole that had been bored it. The sound it made was sweet for a whistle. Bokuchi, who had never been to the sea all his life, was thrilled by the present. Kouseikei too, since he had a secret wish to see the ocean one day.

Bokuchi's family had a final surprise for the two dragons the next morning. Before Palkia and Kouseikei left their dwelling, the mother had given them a pair of blankets woven out of fine Mareep wool. A gift willingly given to such kind visitors, she said. The blankets were of the best craftsmanship, and were guaranteed to keep its owners warm even during the coldest nights.

The two dragons graciously thanked the family before they waved goodbye. From their pen, the little Mareep converged near the gate and bleated their own farewells. Kouseikei stole one final glance at Eikyuu, who was right in front, before he and Palkia turned to continue their journey to the Wishmaker.

…o0o…

After several more days' worth of walking, the two dragons finally reached the first cairn. It was very simple for a place hallowed by a deity. It stood on the grassland like a lone tower, easily dwarfed by the scattered stands of trees that rose around it like supple sentinels.

Kouseikei watched Palkia examine the cairn silently. She had told him not to touch the hallowed place yet, for it still did not recognize him as rightful to appear before Jirachi. Although it looked nothing more than a pile of stones gathered into a small conical mountain, Kouseikei knew better than to judge the place by the looks. Had this been an ordinary hodgepodge of rocks, the elements would have long destroyed the small shrine.

"It hasn't been disturbed, thankfully," Palkia said after a while. "Jirachi's spell is still active. If it wasn't, anyone could simply approach the rocks and do whatever he wants with them."

"What will happen if someone attempts to violate the cairn?" Kouseikei inquired.

"Jirachi's sleep will overtake them," she answered. "They cannot wake, unless their sleeping bodies are taken away from the cairn."

The young dragon nodded, eying the gathered rocks with heightened caution. True enough, he saw what looked like remnants of yellowed bone – _human bones?_ – half-buried in the grassy soil at the base of the cairn. It seemed that a person or two had fallen victim to the deadly sleep of the God of Wishes, and had never awakened.

"I assure you _that _won't happen to you," Palkia said, following his line of sight and seeing the remains as well. "Well, are you ready, Kousei?"

Kouseikei blinked and became alert once more.

"What should be done, my Lady?"

"First of all, we need a stone, preferably of the same size as the others in the cairn. Once you have found it, bring it to me."

The young dragon looked around for a possible source. Apart from a large boulder beneath one of the trees, there were only pebbles nearby. Excusing himself, Kouseikei went to the boulder and assessed it. Although a Salamence, he knew how to manipulate the Rock element thanks to his stonecarving skills, and it was an easy job for him to chip off a piece from the stone. This piece, he brought back to Palkia, who nodded at him approvingly.

"Thank you," she said. "Now, I would like you to place a hand over the stone."

Kouseikei obeyed her instructions uncertainly. He rested his right hand over the stone that Palkia held on her right palm. The goddess then placed her remaining hand over his, and Kouseikei saw the stone glow briefly as he felt a bit of his energy being drawn into the featureless rock. The feeling was gone quickly, though, and Palkia clasped his fingers around the now-dormant stone.

"That's it. You may now place it in the cairn along with the others."

The young Salamence stepped closer the pile of rocks. However, Palkia's earlier warning about the fate of trespassers held him back. Noticing his apprehension, the Space Dragoness approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Do not fear, Kousei," she whispered.

And so the flightless dragon compelled himself to do as she said. Taking a deep breath, he approached the cairn and stooped at its base. Gingerly, he placed his stone on the pile, half-expecting himself to be knocked unconscious as he did so. Thankfully, he passed the test. He stood up and returned to his immortal guide, as safe as he can be.

"Feel better, my friend?" Palkia asked him with a smile.

Kouseikei nodded slowly, trying his best to smile back at her. It was such a simple act, but it also felt as though he had one foot right in his grave at the same time.

Barely had Palkia finished her statement when a loud chirp made the two dragons look the way of the boulder where Kouseikei had obtained the stone. The Swellow with the chest-pattern anomaly was sitting right on top of it. Upon seeing that the dragons had noticed its presence, it flew up to them, hovering in the air until Kouseikei held out his arm for the Flying-type to land on. Then, amazingly tame, the Swellow chirruped sweetly and rubbed its head against the young Salamence's cheek.

"She's a female," Kouseikei said softly. "Lady Palkia, she's been following us for days now."

"She seems to want to go with you," Palkia remarked, both amused and interested. "Kousei, you must have done this Swellow quite a favor for her to act as such."

Kouseikei's expression, however, was difficult to read. He held up the Swellow close to his face, as though looking for some sort of semblance.

"You…" he muttered. "You haven't forgotten, have you?"

Palkia, puzzled now, asked her mortal charge, "What do you mean, Kouseikei?"

The flightless Salamence lowered his right arm a bit, his ebony eyes thoughtful. He was silent for a while, and when he eventually spoke, his tone was sad.

"I've… never told Lady Palkia how I lost my wing, have I?"

"Only because I never asked," she replied gently, trying to find out what made Kouseikei bring up the delicate topic suddenly. "I knew from the very beginning that whether or not you will tell me was your choice, and I have always respected that."

"My Lady is most kind, and it would be inconsiderate of me to keep that matter from you much longer. Lady Palkia… I… I lost my wing hardly a day after I evolved into a Salamence."

Palkia respectfully made Kouseikei pause. She took him into the shade of the trees and made him sit on the cool boulder before moving to do the same beside him. The deity had recognized that such talk could not be summed up into a few sentences, and she considered it her duty to hear him out. The female Swellow moved to sit on Kouseikei's shoulder, as though to also listen to what the young Salamence had to say.

"You can tell me everything," the deity told him soothingly. "I am here to listen."

Kouseikei looked into her eyes, and saw the genuineness of her faith. Thus, he finally spoke of the subject that he had been avoiding for so many years.

"I remember I was so joyful at finally being able to fly. I worked so hard to reach that far, just like any other Shelgon. My clan's military training was grueling, and it served to assure that only the best could attain the final evolution."

Palkia nodded as he said this. She had expected that much. The Salamence were warlike dragons after all.

"I was approached by some of my clan leaders before I evolved. They were offering me a secure position in the Council of Warriors. It was a great honor. They don't tap many; let alone a twenty year-old Shelgon who had yet to grow wings. I should have felt happy. The leaders thought my skills in the battlefield were commendable, but in fact I was at two minds about accepting the offer. Ever since my stonecarving master, Gyokuei, took me in as an apprentice, I have wanted nothing more than to learn how to work with the dragon-scale stone. I fought in the training field because it was mandatory, but I hated how it would take up the time that I would otherwise have used learning to refine my trade. I decided that if I could not get away from the military training, I would just learn and master it as quickly as I can so it will be out of my way soon enough. And I stayed true to my goal, my Lady. I progressed faster than any Shelgon, and the Elders saw it."

The Goddess of Space remained silent, but she understood what all that meant. Kouseikei, judging by what she had learned, had the skills of a formidable warrior, but was reluctant about pursuing a path in that direction because it would have taken him away from his true interest, the stonecarving arts.

"If the Elders had their way, they would have groomed me as the youngest warmaster in our history. But that would never happen, either by my own choice or by fate's decree. I had set my mind on turning them down, even though I may be throwing my entire future away by doing so. At least, I thought, it was _my _decision. Whatever the outcome, I will gladly take responsibility for it."

Kouseikei then paused. He looked up at the sky, and his hands clenched into fists on his lap.

"But I never even got to make that decision. I remember flying into the forest surrounding our stronghold after my wings emerged. It was thrilling, the feeling of flight… although since it had been three years ago, the thrill had faded to but an echo in my memory. But back to the story, I went into the forest and saw a little Taillow, so young it could not even fly, struggling helplessly at the roots of a tree. There was a nest full of Taillows on the branches of the same tree, and I figured that the little one must have fallen from it. I couldn't see their parents around, so I decided to return the fallen chick back to its home before they came back."

'_That Taillow…' _Palkia thought, looking at the Swellow on his shoulder and reaching the correct conclusion before Kouseikei revealed it.

"But just as I was placing the Taillow back to the nest… _Something _went up at me from behind. I… I don't even know what it was, my Lady!" He buried his face in his hands in an attempt to hide his shame from the goddess. "All I knew was that I passed out afterwards. When I finally awoke weeks after, I was bedridden, with my left wing and reputation in shreds…"

"They looked down on you for being injured?" Palkia muttered, frowning slightly.

"Many other Salamence have lost their flight one way or another," Kouseikei replied resentfully. "But I was the first to have lost my wing in such a… _trivial _manner. Had it been in a duel with another dragon, I might have been forgiven. But to be incapacitated because I let my guard down trying to help a little Taillow… it was a complete disgrace. My life took a turn for the worse; no one would have anything to do with a shamed Salamence. I had no one to turn to but my old master. I became like his son throughout those years, and I was finally able to attain mastery of the dragon-scale stone. In fact, my best works were the carvings that I offered up to you, Lady Palkia."

"Your master, Gyokuei," Palkia said softly, "what became of him?"

"He died. It was a little over a month before I met you at the spring, my Lady. He died suddenly in his sleep, without having the chance to name his successor. Even though he was old, he appeared to be at the peak of health and we weren't too worried about… But since our guild was left without a master, the Elders decided to choose one for us, and… they passed over me."

Palkia reached out and rubbed gentle circles on Kouseikei's back. She had not realized the extent of his suffering until that moment… all because of a shorn wing.

"The Taillow I saved had a unique pattern on her chest," he whispered suddenly, sitting back up. Gently disengaging the Swellow's claws from his shoulder, Kouseikei transferred her to his forearm, stroking her glossy plumage at the same time. "Her chest pattern tapered into two points instead of one."

Palkia intently observed Kouseikei's reaction, wondering what he'd do with the Swellow now that it was evident she had a lot to do with the incident that changed his life forever.

"It wasn't your fault that you fell out of your nest at the wrong moment," Kouseikei said to the Swellow with a sigh. "I am honored that you still remember me despite being so young at the time. Do you really want to go with us?"

The Swellow crooned softly, in her own version of 'yes.' The young Salamence then looked at Palkia for approval, which she immediately gave.

"Thank you for telling me about yourself, Kouseikei," Palkia said, squeezing his hand firmly. "I really appreciate your trust, and I will make sure that it is returned in kind." After helping Kouseikei stand up, she smiled at the Swellow. "What shall you name her, Kousei?"

Kouseikei glanced at the Flying-type, thought for a moment, and finally said, "Maji. I think I'll call her that."

Maji flapped her wings joyfully. She affectionately nipped at Kouseikei's finger before she flew to Palkia, acknowledging her presence with a similar gesture. The Goddess of Space gave Maji's head crest a friendly tweak before she returned the Swellow to Kouseikei.

"The colors of Salamence and Swellow are quite similar, I just noticed," Palkia suddenly remarked. "You and Maji do look compatible, Kousei. Blue, white, and red."

The young Salamence stared at Maji and his own clothing for a moment before he laughed, seeing the truth in her words. Palkia laughed with him, and he stepped forth to follow her to their next destination, his heart feeling considerably lighter now that a great weight had been unloaded from it.

…o0o…

"Pardon me, but have two dragons gone this way several days ago?"

Bokuchi's father looked up from where he was checking a Mareep's fur of any parasites.

"Why yes, there were," the Linoone said, squinting his eyes since the glare of the sun prevented him from wholly seeing the speaker's face. "But of their destination, we have no idea."

"It doesn't matter," Ashikase said softly, giving the male Linoone a curt nod of thanks as he moved on, the trail of his rival and his immortal companion etched in his mind.

…o0o…

_Note:_

_The name Maji has a double meaning, which differs depending on the way the characters are written. The more modern and commonly used translation is "true wind," but there exists an archaic version which gives it the darker meaning "something that leads one astray."_


	10. The Magnolia Grove

_Author's notes:_

_I will finally be integrating a bit of the Gen V 'mons within the chapters, so I hope you guys have been following Black and White. I'll have to warn you about some mild adult content and violence in this chapter, but I guess you've been expecting it sooner or later. I gave the story an M rating for a reason after all._

_The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri._

…o0o…

**Part II: Healing the Wings**

**Chapter IV: The Magnolia Grove**

Kouseikei had never felt so furious. He had thought that encountering a village would be a welcome change to all the hiking he and Palkia had been doing for two days now, but he was soon proven wrong. It started off well; the new surroundings were more interesting compared to the flat grasslands of the Long Plateau. The last village they were to encounter, the Eagle's Nest as Palkia called it, was located in the rugged Points of Balance, which was renowned for their unusual rock formations. Kouseikei figured that it was imperative to make a stop over in the Eagle's Nest, for it was a desert that lay before them after activating the second cairn. However, his interactions with the Eagle's Nest inhabitants made him wish he had never set foot in the place at all.

He and Palkia, along with their new Swellow companion, arrived in the Eagle's Nest early that morning. The Lady of Space had talked to the owner of the only inn in the village so they could stay for one day and depart in the next. The old woman had agreed, and while acknowledging that their accommodations were rustic at best, she promised to take care of their meals throughout the duration of their stay.

After depositing their belongings in the reserved room, Palkia took Kouseikei aside and requested him to restock their provisions in the village trading area.

"Would you mind going to the market just this once, Kousei?" she had asked. "I would have gladly accompanied you, but there are some things I need to take care of first."

Kouseikei wondered what it was that Palkia needed to accomplish first, but he answered, "I wouldn't mind it at all, my Lady. I think it is my duty to do so anyway."

The Space Dragoness nodded, and after handing him a small bag which contained the region's currency, she thanked him and bade Kouseikei to go.

"I will see you at lunch, all right?" she said. "Grandma would be expecting us in the inn's dining hall by then."

The young Salamence bowed slightly and left the room. After descending a flight of stairs, he made his way into what was simultaneously the inn's welcome area and dining hall. Kouseikei saw only a few people, mostly elderly, who paid no attention to him as they sipped what looked like strong tea from little earthen cups. He slid open the inn's doors to go out, stopping to breathe in the scent of the environment as he did so. His Wind-sense was still dull, but he could tell that the air in the Points of Balance smelled a wee bit sweeter than the kind of mountain air he was used to in the Salamence stronghold. What caused it, though, he could not tell. He hadn't seen much of the place's plant life aside from the usual pine trees, and they were the same ones the Salamence had in their home.

He walked to the market of the Eagle's Nest on his own. Kouseikei noticed his pet Swellow preening herself on one of the roofs, but she shortly took off, no doubt eager to give her new surroundings a thorough aerial exploration. Maji had not been allowed into the inn, but he had seen her peeking in once or twice through the open window while Kouseikei and Palkia discussed their plans.

Kouseikei thought he could finish his market stint in an hour or two, but upon observing his fellow market-goers he realized that he had to spend some time conversing with the trader if he were to heighten his chances of getting a bargain price. Although the village people were composed of an amalgamation of various clans instead of a single unified species, they got along pretty well with each other. The laughter and haggling in the market proved that.

It was rather fun initially, but as a Salamence unused to such customs Kouseikei was somewhat mentally exhausted after the first few buys.

"See this carving 'ere?" the owner of the medicine shop had told the young Salamence when he stopped by. The middle-aged man with a toothy smile was proudly exhibiting a small wooden statue depicting what looked like a Croagunk near the counter. "Me son made it! He's been apprenticed to our chief woodworker for a year now!"

Kouseikei, a carver himself, had thought objectively that he could have done a better job, and on stone at that, but politely he complimented the work. It did not end there; Kouseikei had to stay and listen to the owner describe in detail all the effort his offspring put into the statue before the young dragon obtained what he needed. It got even more tedious in the shop selling some berries, wherein the clerk rambled on and on about how their wares were a lot better than the others in the market. Nevertheless, the Salamence had to admit that his words contained a nugget of truth. They stocked rare berries, of the sort that provided battle-enhancing effects instead of merely healing abnormal status ailments. They were ridiculously expensive though; Kouseikei could imagine Palkia flaying him alive if he splurged on them. Although the mortal dragon contented himself with the berries he was familiar with, he did purchase several of what the clerk claimed could weaken the Fire element, more for Palkia's sake than anything.

A similar routine followed for the rest, but it was perhaps the worst in the last stall he visited. It was run by a woman who looked like a Bibarel, and she flirted with him for ten whole minutes before allowing him to get in a word edgewise. Kouseikei did his best to subtly turn down the woman's advances, in the meantime resisting the urge to use aggressive negotiations to make the woman part with the vital foodstuffs she had on her counter. But when a male passerby who apparently knew the woman joined in, things just went downhill.

"Oh sir," the woman addressed Kouseikei in her high-pitched voice. "Are you sure you don't need anything else? I am willing to give you more, since you are by far the most good-looking to pass by my humble stall today."

"I'd give up if I were you, Peony," the newly-arrived young man interjected. "Your customer already has his female, as far as we are concerned."

Kouseikei stiffened.

"Excuse me?" he said, frowning at the other man.

"Oh, don't act like you don't know," was the reply. "You entered this village with her, that attractive woman with the long dark purple hair, did you not? From what tribe do you two come from anyway? You are a Salamence; it doesn't take much to realize that. But her… is she a shiny Kingdra? We heard that there have been rare cases in which a dragon or two from their kind had purple hair instead of blue."

'_A Kingdra is a close guess, but not quite,' _Kouseikei thought. Nonetheless, he was fascinated by the bit of trivia about the Kingdra. He never knew that it was possible for them to inherit their patron goddess' hair color.

"What has she got to do with this?" Kouseikei asked, not answering the man's question about Palkia's species.

"Peony, if you'd seen _her, _I'm pretty sure it would make even a person as dozy as you to recognize that your looks are not up to snuff," the other man continued, as though he hadn't heard Kouseikei. "My friends and I would have invited her to a drink in the tavern if not for the fact that she already had a man with her."

"You _wanted_ to invite Pal – I mean, Kiya – to a _drink?" _Kouseikei demanded, his protectiveness over the goddess suddenly bubbling up to the surface.

"Hey, no need to get so worked up! It was only a thought. We all know you'd like to _enjoy _her company and wouldn't let her be taken by anyone else."

"We do not have _that _kind of relationship," Kouseikei snapped back upon catching the vulgar undertones in the other man's statements. "She is a friend of mine; that is all."

"Oh really?" came the reply. "No man here would believe you if you told them you've been traveling with such a beautiful female for a while and _not _having tasted her at least once."

Peony, despite her dim-witted demeanor, was smart enough to notice that Kouseikei's temper was rapidly reaching its upper bounds.

"Setsu," she told the man, "I suggest that you leave. You're disturbing our bargaining here!"

"_Bargaining?" _Setsu said with a laugh. "If that woman finds out you've been flirting with her man, you'd –"

His words were abruptly cut off by Kouseikei, whose hand shot out of its own volition and clamped itself around the other man's throat. Peony gasped, and many of the people in the market began to notice the commotion.

"If you do not stop your useless talk, I'll shut you up for good!" the furious dragon growled. In a bizarre contrast to his calmer self, his fangs were bared and his coal-black eyes ablaze with untold rage. A small gale radiated from his body, in the process upsetting several baskets of fruits and detaching loose items from their hooks.

It took a while for Setsu's pleas for mercy to reach Kouseikei. It was not until his victim was close to fainting did the Salamence finally relent, abruptly releasing the iron grip around his neck. A few other fellows moved to quickly pull the still-gasping Setsu from Kouseikei, at the same time sparing the Sky Dragon frightened glances. His draconic self relished his success at instilling fear in them.

"_Kouseikei!"_

Palkia's voice cut through the eerie silence that had settled upon the square. Her ruby eyes widened in shock when she saw the man with the bruised neck being led away from her mortal charge. _That_ was more than enough for her to imply what had just happened.

"Kouseikei, what have you done?" she exclaimed. Rushing to the injured man's side, she quickly assessed the damage. "You nearly killed him!"

The Salamence looked at her, his expression still vicious. How _dare_ she… siding with his enemy?

"So you think it's _my_ entire fault?" he answered back. "You know _nothing, _woman."

Palkia stood up and faced Kouseikei, keeping her cool despite the obvious danger of confronting an enraged Salamence.

"Calm yourself, Kouseikei," she said slowly. "It's not like of you to act this way."

"Don't act like you know me," Kouseikei answered back. "If you only heard what that bastard said, you would have done exactly as I have. And yet… here you are, defending him!"

"Kousei," Palkia, anxious now, stepped closer to him. Her tone had lost most of its accusatory edge upon seeing how distressed her friend was. "I know he upset you, but _please _at least calm down for now –"

"Stop giving me orders, woman," he cut her off. _"You _told me to go here, and I only did as you wanted. If you had the littlest bit of sense you could have stopped this from happening."

Palkia could hardly believe her ears. He was passing the blame to her now?

"Has your memory failed you?" she answered, becoming angry. "I did not _order _you to go here, as you put it. If you did not want to do what I had requested, then you should have told me from the very beginning! I wouldn't have held it against you, you know!"

"How was I to know _that_, considering _who _you are? As far as I know, you would have killed me if I didn't obey."

"What are you saying? I would never do that to you."

Her last sentence made a deeper impact than she anticipated. Kouseikei stared at her, unable to reply. She stared back unflinchingly. After a long moment of silence between them, she reached out her hand to soothingly touch his shoulder, thinking that he was calm enough for her to be able to get to him at last. She was wrong.

"_Don't touch me, woman!" _Kouseikei snarled, swatting her hand away. "I can't stand to see you, let alone have you close by. If you value your precious life you would leave at once!"

It was as though he slashed at her with his own halberd blade. Palkia stood still, speechless like the rest of the crowd that dared not take their eyes off the public spectacle. Her eyes, amazingly, didn't show any sign of giving way to tears even though hurt was clear in them.

"I… see," she whispered only for Kouseikei to hear. Turning on her heels, she walked away without saying another word. All of the eyes in the square followed her until she was gone from their midst, before moving back to the young Salamence.

Reality hit Kouseikei like cold buckets of water after his friend left him. He had argued with Palkia… with _Palkia! _And worse, he had openly humiliated her. His fury began to melt away, with despair filling the void that remained. But he wasn't about to give the spectators the satisfaction of seeing him break down in public.

"What are _you _staring at?" he demanded of them, using the remnants of his rage to fuel his voice. "Get on with your business!"

The people immediately went back in motion, afraid of incurring further Salamence wrath. However, the lighthearted air was gone, and forced laughter replaced the previous gaiety. Peony hastily handed Kouseikei a packet containing all that he had requested from her before the fiasco, murmuring a good day to him before turning away. She began to converse with a woman who had approached her stall, the two females simultaneously trying to ignore the dragon. Kouseikei hurriedly retrieved all that he had purchased and went back to the inn as quickly as he could. When he was in the privacy of their room, he sat on the floor with his back against the wall, not bothering to hide his tears as they spilled out of his eyes at last.

…o0o…

Palkia avoided Kouseikei for the rest of that long day. She did not join him for the midday meal, and he could not blame her at all. He picked at the food the old innkeeper had brought him, for he had no appetite. Kouseikei only thought of Palkia and how he could apologize to her, praying sincerely that he hadn't damaged their friendship permanently. He didn't care if the Goddess of Space no longer wished to follow through with their journey to Jirachi. If _it_ had to be the price for him to be able to mend their relations, so be it.

Once the sun had lost the worst of its midday heat, he left the outskirts of the Eagle's Nest to stroll alone. The villagers scurried away from the sight of him, which was a blessing in disguise for a man who desired privacy. Maji came out of the place where she had been resting and flew to her master. Kouseikei allowed her to sit on his shoulder, guiltily aware that it was the exact same place where Palkia attempted to make contact with him earlier. The female Swellow seemed aware of his plight, for she crooned in a concerned tone, rubbing her head against his cheek. Her action comforted the mortal dragon slightly.

Kouseikei absentmindedly picked up a stray piece of wood from the side of the path. Instinctively, he took the knife he always had by his side and began to carve the small block as he walked. Just as he almost always did whenever he was troubled, he let his hands work their magic on the previously artless material without caring about the outcome. At the same time, the young dragon eagerly took in the spectacular sights of the Points of Balance. Here and there were arches sculpted by the natural forces of wind and rain, and pillars of rocks balanced in a manner that was amazing to behold, like a fleet-footed dancer on her toes. Kouseikei found himself missing Palkia's company, for she would have explained to him how such natural phenomena could occur.

Maji twittered excitedly, launching herself to the air from where she sat on Kouseikei's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Kouseikei inquired of the female avian. Maji was hovering above a rock formation composed of many large stones, clearly calling for him to follow.

Kouseikei evaluated the nature of the megalithic boulders. After a while, he managed to trace a possible path over them. Tucking the half-finished wooden carving inside his clothes and sheathing his knife, he began his climb. The rocks were rather hot from the heat of the sun, but he resisted the heat well enough to continue on. All the while, Maji flew above him, encouraging her master to move further onward.

After about fifteen minutes' worth of hiking, Kouseikei reached the top of the formation. It was windy from where he stood, and he paused to take in a few grateful gulps of breath before looking at the view on the other side of the rocks. His eyes widened, and quickly he descended to see the wondrous sight better. Maji returned to his shoulder, looking at her dragon master expectantly.

"You have done well to show me this place, Maji," Kouseikei whispered, as though afraid someone will overhear. "Do you think Lady Palkia will like this too?"

Maji flapped her wings in affirmation, letting out a small cry of elation. Kouseikei fondly stroked the Swellow's glossy plumage in response.

"It seems we are of like minds," he continued. "I presume you are thinking what I am thinking?"

Maji gave him a smug look, as though she knew it already.

…o0o…

When Kouseikei returned to the inn in time for supper, Palkia was still nowhere in sight. The young Salamence asked the innkeeper about her whereabouts, and was surprised to find out that she had already eaten dinner, and had retired into their room for the night. That in itself was odd; in the days they had traveled together, Kouseikei had seen that Palkia loved to look upon the starlit sky for a few hours before sleeping.

'_She must really be upset,' _he thought sadly as he ate alone, again. He knew that the other villagers who were taking their night meal were observing him secretly, but he paid them no attention. He was resolute about apologizing to them sooner or later, but not now. He doubted they would believe his sincerity until he had made up with his female companion first.

Kouseikei silently made his way to the room they had reserved for the night. He knocked softly, and hearing no response, he tested the door. It opened easily, and he was greeted by the dim glow of a lamp, which was the only light source in the room. Palkia was asleep on one of the soft reed mats that were provided for them, and the soft lamplight enhanced her gentle features as they fell upon her. Her expression was peaceful and betrayed none of the pain Kouseikei knew she must still feel.

'_So beautiful,' _he thought automatically. Recalling their morning quarrel was enough to make Kouseikei's heart clench. He _shouted_ at her… treated her in a manner that should never be given to a goddess. How could he have been so cruel?

As quietly as he could so as not to wake the goddess, Kouseikei prepared himself for bed. But even after he extinguished the light of the lamp, he lay awake, staring into the empty ceiling.

'_A part of me still can't believe I am sharing one room with the eldest daughter of Arceus…'_

He wondered deeply why he suddenly acted like he did. Master Gyokuei himself had commended Kouseikei's extraordinary control of the temper for which the Salamence clan was notorious. Yes, Palkia _was_ right after all. It was not like of him to suddenly grab the neck of a man and attempt to choke his life out due to some… misunderstanding.

'_But why under heaven did I become so enraged?'_

He was brought up in the warrior code of the Salamence, but the sheer extent of his warlike heritage unnerved him a little. Kouseikei remembered how the village people avoided him after getting a taste of his fearsome temper, and he couldn't help but be saddened. He was proud that he could claim descent from the line of Sky Dragons. He _really_ was, but he didn't exactly want to earn the enmity of others because of the violence that went with it either.

And Palkia… was she frightened of him too? No, of course not. She had stood up to him even when his rage was at its worst. She could have simply fought fire with fire, and easily won due to her prowess as the Overseer of Space. And yet, she did not.

'_I must have been so tired from attempting to talk to so many people within a short span of time, that it was the last straw when someone went and teased me about being… _intimate_ with the Lady Palkia…'_

Kouseikei grimaced when Setsu's words rang once more inside his head. His hands balled themselves into fists without him knowing it. But as he thought about it, why was he so against the thought about becoming close to the Goddess of Space? She had never been anything but considerate to him, and Kouseikei had genuinely grown to care for her too in the past days he had been with her.

'_Friendship, yes. Intimacy, no.'_

Palkia was a scion of the Legendary race, of which no mortal could ever measure up against. Kouseikei, only a Salamence, and a flightless one at that, could never be good enough for someone like her. Just look at what he had done to her a few hours ago.

Or more accurately, Kouseikei hated himself for his inadequacy.

…o0o…

The first rays of sunlight that fell upon her eyes roused Palkia from her sleep. She turned and stretched a little, sending new waves of strength through her body. The deity sat up and rubbed her eyes to drive all remaining sleep away from them. She had heard Kouseikei enter the room the night before, but she couldn't bear to talk to him just yet. Palkia doubted she could do it properly had she done so, with most of her mind still in turmoil about their argument.

Palkia looked around the room, and it was only then that she noticed she was alone. Her expression became somber, for she had wanted to make amends with Kouseikei first thing that morning, hopefully by getting up before him. But upon close observation, the mattress and blanket he had used the night before were neatly folded. So, he was already awake.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Palkia moved to retrieve her outer robe from where it lay, folded beside her mat. Her fingers, however, made contact with something that was not cloth.

Fully awake now, Palkia stared at her bedside. There, nestled on top of the light purple robe, was a small wooden carving of a Salamence dragon. And beside it was a fragrant branch of beautiful bowl-shaped blossoms. Each individual bloom had many petals, a soft white on the inside but a lovely purple on the outside. Her mouth fell open as she beheld them, but it did not take long for the surprise to give way to joy.

She lovingly took the wooden dragon in her palm, smiling at the intricate detail it possessed in spite of its small size. It was so well-carved, down to the teeth in its mouth. Only Kouseikei could have done it, and she was impressed by his surpassing skill, again. Lifting the blossoms from her robe, Palkia held them close to her nose and inhaled their lovely fragrance.

"Kousei…"

She was suddenly seized by a longing to find him, and so she stood up, hurriedly putting on her robe and rushing out of the door, the carving and the blossoms clutched in her hands.

…o0o…

It would not suffice to describe that he had an entire nest of Volcaronas fluttering inside his stomach. Maji kept twittering angrily at Kouseikei whenever he paused in hand-feeding her some berries which were his treat for her. She had awakened him early that morning by tapping softly on their room window, grasping the flowering branch in her claws. Kouseikei's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when he saw the overwhelming amount of flowers, for he had expected Maji to snip off only a bloom or two. That Swellow does know how to have fun with him…

"Kousei!"

The Volcaronas were flying more actively now, so much that he wondered if he was going to get a stomachache after all this had passed. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Palkia dash out of the inn's entrance and look around frantically. To say that her expression began to glow when she finally saw him was an understatement.

Kouseikei wanted to turn towards her and meet her eye, but he found out that he couldn't. His eyes stubbornly refused to raise themselves from his toes even as Palkia half-ran to his side. His cheeks felt unbelievably hot; oh no, he was… he was actually _blushing! _All was lost now…

Palkia gave a little cough beside him. Kouseikei tried to greet her good morning, but the murmur that left his lips was almost incomprehensible. He just couldn't _look _at the striking lady beside him, especially as she held the flower branch in her arms like a pale purple bouquet.

"Uhm…" Palkia whispered softly. Her cheeks have become as tinted red as his. "Th-thank you, Kousei. It was… most kind of you, really."

Kouseikei said a few more incomprehensible murmurs before Maji finally gave him a sharp nip on the finger. Palkia, thankfully, didn't laugh as he let out a howl of pain.

"Oh goodness, are you all right?" she asked, concerned.

"I… I am, my Lady," Kouseikei replied, giving the Swellow an annoyed look. Maji, however, twittered a long string of reproaches. Palkia smiled in amusement.

'_Gee… you're telling me to remember my line?' _he told Maji in his mind. _'Thanks so much, Maji…'_

"Would… would my Lady wish to see where the blossoms are from?" he asked her softly, finally mustering the strength to meet her gaze.

Palkia looked at him kindly, and with a nod, she answered, "Yes. If you would lead the way, I will gladly follow you."

…o0o…

Kouseikei guided Palkia over the boulders. It was only the two of them on the path, for Maji had kindly stayed on the roof of the inn to give the two dragons their own space. The morning air was cool, and the sun still not harsh. They were both silent throughout their short walk, but Palkia's relaxed expression spoke more than any word. Kouseikei hoped that she would also like what he was about to show her, since after all, she did appreciate the little gifts he had given her.

When they were finally in the grove of blooming trees, he stepped behind Palkia and allowed her to enjoy the spectacle. There was hardly any trace of green on the trees, for the abundance of their purple-and-white flowers hid much of the tiny still-sprouting leaves. From their bark shone a silvery gleam, enhancing the interplay of colors. A lovely scent pervaded the area, further emphasized by the cold air that trapped the fragrance within. None of them, though, were as beautiful as the Goddess of Space herself. Like a captivated child, she ran among the dappled shadows cast by the swaying branches, a look of delight on her face.

"What trees are these, Kousei?" Palkia inquired of him.

Kouseikei looked up at the flowering canopy and said, "They are magnolia. I remember my master telling me about them. These species are among the most beautiful, he said, but more often than not, they blossom too early into spring and their flowers are damaged by frost. But should they survive… their tint is a priceless addition to the spring landscape."

Palkia quietly patted a nearby tree's silvery bark before walking back to Kouseikei. Her previous childlike expression was now replaced by the calmness of the ageless woman that she was, but it became her perfectly.

"Your master was right," she said softly, her gaze not leaving his. "And the fact that you could sincerely understand their beauty is something even more admirable."

The young Salamence looked into her eyes, and decided that it was the time.

"Lady Palkia," he said in a regretful tone, "I am really sorry about what happened yesterday…"

Palkia's hand caressing his scarred cheek, however, made his voice die in his throat. Her touch was a bit cautious, no doubt afraid that he will lash out at her again. As though in a dream, Kouseikei's hand moved to cover hers, the language of words failing them. His lip trembled as a tear left his eye, only to have it gently wiped away by her. The gesture of forgiveness undid him completely, and through the haze in his eyes, he saw her smile.

They remained transfixed for a few moments, and would have stayed so even longer, had not a strong breeze picked up and showered them with a cloud of petals. The same breeze unraveled the ribbon that loosely tied Palkia's hair behind her, and before they knew it, the plain white band was fluttering down the mountainside. Kouseikei attempted to run to the edge of the cliff and retrieve it for her, but Palkia held him back.

"Never mind it," she assured him. "We would be delayed if we went hunting for a mere ribbon that the Wind wanted."

"So this means…" he said, his eyes widening, "my Lady still wants to continue on to Jirachi?"

Palkia let out a good-natured snort, saying, "I promised you, didn't I? And besides…" Locking eyes with him, she continued, "I have never met anyone more deserving of this journey than you."

The young Salamence didn't know what to say. He was just so happy that he was friends with her again. And furthermore, the figure of the Goddess of Space among the magnolias, along with the look of genuine pardon that she had given him… they were gifts that he would cherish in his mind, for all time.


	11. Crystal, Wind, and Water

_Author's notes:_

_Aiee, months and months without an update! I am so sorry!_

_Some vital characters are making a comeback in this chapter. (I presume some of you are wondering what the hell is happening on Ashikase's side.) Thanks to everyone who gave feedback on the previous chapter; I'll admit that I myself rather enjoyed making Kousei angry._

_The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri._

…o0o…

**Part II: Healing the Wings**

**Chapter V: Crystal, Wind, and Water**

"Well, what's this?" Mesprit chuckled upon seeing a branch of blossoms in full bloom nestled within her Temporal brother's arms. "You never told us you had such a _liking _for pretty flowers, Big Brother!"

Uxie and Azelf tittered, apparently sharing their sister's sentiments. Dialga glared at them, annoyed and embarrassed by the statement.

"These aren't _mine, _you imp," he answered back, blushing slightly. "I received them from Palkia early this morning, along with instructions to transplant it near her lotus pond in the garden."

"Oooh, where do you think she got this… this… what is it?" Azelf said, stepping close to Dialga so as to inspect the flowering branch.

"It's a bough from a magnolia tree," Uxie said automatically, effortlessly retrieving that information from the wide array of knowledge that came naturally to her.

"Whatever it is, it's quite pretty isn't it?" Mesprit remarked, sniffing at the blossoms with added relish. Then she began to giggle.

"What on earth is the matter with you?" Dialga asked, frowning at the Goddess of Emotion.

Mesprit was able to suppress her giggling long enough to give a coherent reply.

"Do you think Big Sister has an admirer, and he gave _this_ to her as a gift?" she whispered. Her mischievous aura was clearly tangible within the little gathering of the children of Arceus.

"Don't be ridiculous," Dialga answered. Although he tried to be calm, it was plain that he was horrified at the thought of a man attempting to pay court to his older sister. "No one would dare trifle with the Goddess of Space."

"On the contrary," Mesprit said in rebuttal, "no would dare trifle with the Goddess of Space's _brother."_

"True," Azelf added as an affirmative. "If I don't know any better, Dialga practically sent all of Palkia's potential suitors running for the door the moment he realized their intentions."

"Dialga is more protective of her than Father is," Uxie said, causing her sisters to laugh.

"Now that's enough," the God of Time snapped. "You'd better find Shaymin and see to it that this branch is properly planted before it dries up. Don't forget, Palkia is _fearsome _when angered. Just remember how she nearly flayed us after we accidentally drained her lotus pond eons ago…"

…o0o…

It was with a considerably lighter heart that Kouseikei left the Eagle's Nest with his immortal guide. Palkia had accompanied him as he offered his apologies to Setsu, who had clasped the young Salamence's hand as proof of their peace. And even better, the other inhabitants of the Eagle's Nest now regarded Kouseikei more cordially. He suspected that it was not only for having apologized to their fellow villager, but also because he was back on good terms with Palkia, who had incurred their sympathy during the fracas in the public square the day before.

"That girl, Peony, is all eyes for you again, isn't she?" the purple-haired deity remarked once they were back on the road.

"My Lady…" Kouseikei said with what sounded like an audible groan of despair. Maji, who sat on his shoulder, let out a worried chirp. Her concern was echoed by Palkia.

"I am sorry, Kousei," the female deity hastily replied. "I was just…"

However, Kouseikei immediately dispelled the feelings of dread that had come upon his companions. After stroking Maji's glossy feathers, he came into eye contact with Palkia, who was greatly relieved to see that he was smiling.

"I know you meant no ill, my Lady," he assured her. Then, in an unusual show of humor, he added, "Besides, you have far more admirers among them than I do."

Palkia chuckled, but the whisper that left her lips was serious, "I would prefer your company more than theirs, my friend."

The unexpected statement caught Kouseikei off guard, but he managed to blurt out a thank you before turning away. He just hoped Palkia didn't notice that he was blushing slightly. Maji _did, _apparently, because she was wearing the same smug look that she carried when she showed him the magnolia grove.

"Oh, and one more thing, Kousei," the goddess said, changing the topic. "Do you… do you know how to swim?"

"Eh?" the young Salamence replied automatically, puzzled by the nature of the question.

"I just remembered that we need to do a little bit of diving to reach the chamber housing the second cairn," Palkia explained apologetically.

Kouseikei wondered why they needed such swimming skills in a region where it's very unlikely to find a substantial body of water. Although there was still plenty of vegetation where they were, he couldn't see how they were to _dive _underwater. Surely not while they were standing on craggy mountains…

"The truth is, my Lady," he replied, nervously tugging at a teal lock of hair that framed his face, "I just swam like any member of the Salamence line, which is to say… hardly at all. Although we live near the Meteor Falls, it isn't exactly the sort of place to practice diving in."

Palkia had to chuckle at Kouseikei's choice of words.

"I understand," she said. "But we need to take to the water if we are to progress in our journey. Let us hurry to the place first, and then I'll see what we can do about our situation from there."

…o0o…

Kouseikei observed the crack on the rock face. It was hidden by a tangle of vines that grew over the entrance like a woven door, and he wouldn't have known it was there if Palkia hadn't pushed the thick plant growth aside to reveal the narrow entrance.

"The passage is quite dark, but it isn't too long," Palkia remarked, poking her head into the large crack.

"I doubt Maji would like to stay in such a place for a long time," Kouseikei said. Coaxing the Swellow to his forearm, he then addressed her. "Go and fly, Maji. You are free to go wherever you wish until we get back."

"Just make sure to check the entrance once in a while," Palkia added. She afterwards patted the Swellow on the head.

Maji gave an affirmative cheep, and Kouseikei launched her to the air. The avian promptly spread her wings and disappeared behind a curve of a rock formation. Once she was gone, Palkia and Kouseikei turned their attentions to the tunnel.

"It really _is_ dark in there," he observed, his ebony eyes squinting at the passage.

"Worry not; I have light." At her words, there appeared in her right hand a nebulous-looking substance which quickly formed into a perfect sphere of pure brightness.

"Is that a…" Kouseikei muttered in recognition, his ebony eyes fixed on the light.

"A star, yes," she replied, reading his thoughts. "It is but a tiny echo of its siblings that dance in the heavens, but it cannot be dimmed by Water like Fire can. I have given it enough light to last only a few hours, so let us not dally."

Palkia let the tiny star hover close to them as they navigated the pitch-black passage. They cleared the tunnel in a few minutes, and it wasn't long before they were standing in a spacious cave. The star then floated to its center, revealing a large pool of water that one wouldn't think could exist in a mere mountain crevasse.

"Now on to our little dilemma," Palkia said. She crouched near the edge of the water and touched her fingertips to it. The resulting ripples caught the glow of the star, kindling silvery glimmers on the previously motionless liquid.

"Regardless of the depth," Kouseikei remarked, crouching beside her, "the water is remarkably clear. With the starlight, one can see to the bottom without much effort."

"Yes. And Jirachi's cairn could be reached through the underwater gate over there." She motioned towards the farthest end, where Kouseikei made out an opening in the cave wall positioned right at the very bottom of the pool.

"My Lady… the cairn is _underwater?" _he asked, dread rising in his heart. Even if he was the best non Water-type swimmer in the world, the young Salamence was pretty sure he could not hold his breath long enough to activate the cairn if that was so.

"No, no," Palkia said with a smile, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It is merely the passage that is underwater. When we get to the other side, you will see that it is on firm ground."

That information calmed Kouseikei slightly. He became so engrossed in trying to mentally recall what meager swimming skills he had learned from his Bagon days; he was only half-listening to Palkia when she said her next statements.

"…this rock shelf is just beyond the water's reach. We could place our clothes here while we..."

Immediately driving his daydreams away, Kouseikei turned to give Palkia his undivided attention. His jaw dropped before he could help it, for there was Palkia, standing with her back to him, untying her sash and letting her outer garments fall from her shoulders.

"Lady Palkia…"

"Kousei?" she said, looking over her shoulder and raising an eyebrow at him. "Remember, we have to get into the water."

Kouseikei merely took a few steps back, stumbling over several rocks as he did so. His facial expression was a priceless mix of horror, shock, and embarrassment, and made him look quite silly to Palkia.

"I… I can't…" he stammered, hiding his face in his hands. By now, she was clad only in the innermost layer of her ensemble, which was an undecorated sleeveless robe tied shut at the waist and reaching halfway down her thighs.

"Of course you can. You _need _to. It's only a swim."

"It's not that, my Lady…"

"Kouseikei, I am not going to steal _your _clothes," she said, crossing her hands over her chest. The young Salamence gaped at her, lowering his hands from his face. Palkia blinked a few times, no doubt as surprised as Kouseikei that she had said _those _words. Then, after a few awkward moments of silence, they simultaneously burst into genuine laughter, wiping a few drops of good-natured tears from their eyes.

Kouseikei slowly regained his composure. Although remnants of an embarrassed flush remained in his face, he was grinning.

"I guess it's just the right payback considering the circumstances of our first encounter," he replied, standing up unsteadily. "Your clothes are safe from me, my Lady," he added as an afterthought, a little guiltily.

Palkia snorted and waved at him to move on, walking back to the pool's edge at the same time. Following her example, Kouseikei discarded his tunic and folded it neatly beside her own pile. Leaving only his trousers on, he set aside his headgear and freed his hair from its low ponytail. The dark teal mane with its somewhat wavy tips fell freely down his shoulders, but even they could not soften the harsh-looking scars that marred his otherwise well-formed physique. Running a hand over the rough lines on his left cheek, Kouseikei sighed sadly. They were badges of dishonor in the eyes of his kinsmen.

"Are you all right?" Palkia called out softly, concerned by her mortal charge's silence. Kouseikei blinked and went up to her, apologizing for making her wait.

The Goddess of Space squeezed his hand in assurance before she took the first tentative steps into the pool. She splashed some water on to herself before entering the clear liquid. The young Salamence took a deep breath before he followed suit, but too late he discovered that the pool was deeper than any he had ever swum in. He splashed about like a clumsy Magikarp before Palkia rushed up to him, holding the struggling dragon steady so he could catch his breath. Kouseikei clutched at her at once, panic overwhelming his senses.

"Kousei… I'm choking!" Palkia gasped. Kouseikei's clutch was so tight; it was enough to constrict much of her respiration.

"I… I'm sorry, my Lady!" he said in a trembling tone. He longed to loosen his grip a little to accede to her wishes, but his fear refused to relinquish its hold on his motor systems.

Realizing his situation, Palkia soothingly rubbed slow circles on to his back. Gradually, the panicked spasms ceased, and they were both able to breathe normally. Kouseikei rested his head against her shoulder, immensely grateful for her support.

"I presume this means a crash course in swimming, don't you think?" she whispered once he was completely calm. Kouseikei was heavier than her, but she managed to keep their heads above the water thanks to her affinity with the element.

Kouseikei could only nod in silence, privately cursing himself for his lack of skill. He felt like a dragonling again, hanging on to Palkia for dear life in this hidden mountain pool. The Salamence was barely conscious of anything but his attempts to keep himself from drowning. Nothing, but nothing, could deter him from leaving the comfort zone within her arms. Never mind the fact that their bodies, clad only in a few scant pieces of clothing, were pressed so daringly close to each other as they embraced in the water.

"Water and Wind are not as different as you might think, Kousei," Palkia said gently. "Now follow my lead…"

It was rather scary at first, he had to admit. For a while, Kouseikei was reluctant to let go of his death grip on Palkia. She was patient, however. After a few tries and encouragements from his immortal teacher, he finally managed to tread the water sufficiently without her support. But the greater challenge, they both knew, was how to dive.

"Do you really think I could do it, Lady Palkia?" Kouseikei inquired uncertainly. They were once more at the banks of the pool, for Palkia had insisted that he rest for a while before embarking on the more difficult lesson.

"You are doing just fine, Kousei," Palkia replied. "If you have managed to fly once before, you would be able to do this too."

Kouseikei tried to point out that he hardly remembered how to fly anymore, but Palkia had returned to the water. She swam a few circuits around the pool before she signaled to him. Gathering his courage, the young Salamence got off from the rock to join her. Palkia then held his hands in preparation for the next step.

"Now we will go underwater," she explained. "No real diving yet; we have to make sure that you are comfortable with being completely submerged in the element so you can _stay _submerged."

They carried on with the little drill several times. Hand in hand, they would disappear underwater and remain there, stationary for a few moments. The water, Kouseikei found out, was unexpectedly gentle to the eyes. It was unnecessary to blink while he was completely in the water's grasp, and after surfacing for the fifth time, he felt considerably more at home in Palkia's main element.

"I guess you are ready," Palkia decided finally. "Kousei, I want you to take the deepest breath that you can. Descend down with me, and stay in place just as I have shown you. I will demonstrate how to dive, so watch closely."

The mortal dragon nodded, and on the count of three, he filled his lungs with air just as she had instructed. He descended with her to the depths, and while he was temporarily alarmed when she let go of his hands, Kouseikei found himself unable to tear his gaze from the goddess as she swam. Palkia was already quite graceful on land, but her movements attained a different allure when performed underwater. With her long hair trailing behind her like a veil, she lithely traversed the watery dimension with serpentine flexibility. Palkia took a sharp dive that brought her quickly to the rocks littering the bottom of the pool. After lingering there for a few moments, she returned to him, motioning for them to return to the surface.

Kouseikei did not expect himself to come close to equaling Palkia's fluid actions, so he was rather surprised when he found it easy to imitate her demonstration when he tried it himself. Although he couldn't quite stay so long underwater as she could, he soon found himself performing cartwheels in such an unexpected place. Palkia joyfully swam around the young dragon with the undulating motions of an otter, and when they resurfaced, they were laughing with delight. She was correct; Water and Wind are not so different after all. At that point in time, Palkia and Kouseikei were but two carefree spirits linked together in friendship.

They frolicked in the pool for some time, but the purpose of their practice returned to them soon enough. And so, after a few minutes of rest, they dove together once more, their destination being the submerged passage. The tiny star that Palkia had conjured for them was unaffected by the water, and followed them at her bidding. With its light, they found it easy to swim through the submarine hole and enter the cavern on the other side of the wall. When they broke the surface of the water, Kouseikei temporarily forgot to breathe. The walls of the new cavern were completely encrusted with large turquoise-colored crystals, which, once illuminated by their star, gave off an iridescent glow that bathed everything in a blue-green hue. The cairn itself stood on an island at the center, looking very humble in comparison to the cavern housing it.

Palkia and Kouseikei paddled to the island and pulled themselves up from the pool. Taking a stone that he had retrieved from the bottom of the cave, they immediately proceeded with the ritual of activating the cairn. Once Palkia had finished with her part, Kouseikei reverently placed the stone along with the blessed others. Even then, they did not leave; the Space Dragoness also showed the inclination to stay and admire the beauty of the crystal cave for a little longer.

"It reminds me of a stone I had found when I was still a Shelgon," Kouseikei reminisced fondly. He and Palkia sat at the edge of the island, gazing at the shimmering crystals side by side. "It looked like just another ordinary rock on the outside, but when Master Gyokuei split it in half for me, it turned out to be filled with purple crystals. Amethyst, he called them. I imagine that if the geode was as large as this cave, it would be just as wonderful to behold."

"Yes, it would be," Palkia said, nodding. She pulled her bare legs close to her body, resting her chin on her knees. Their hair and clothes clung to their bodies like a second layer of skin, but neither of them minded. "Caves like these are very rare. Water would have to carry the minerals to the rock so they could form these crystals, and you can imagine how long it would take. This chamber is the fruit of many, many years' worth of nature's labor."

Kouseikei looked around the chamber, appreciating the natural wonder anew. Upon seeing the cairn again, a sudden thought struck him.

"Lady Palkia," he said, "how exactly are wishes granted?"

Palkia looked at him with thoughtful ruby eyes. When she spoke again, her tone was softer, and had a mystical quality to it.

"Mortals have Spirit," she replied. "Will, Emotion, and Knowledge… extensions of the powers of my little sisters, the Lake Guardians. Spirit, in turn, gives a person the capacity to _wish_…"

Kouseikei found himself being drawn to Palkia's voice, and her words made their way into his consciousness like never before.

"Wishes greatly rely on a person's Spirit; his willpower, in particular." She then reached out and touched his heart. "With willpower, and the corresponding action on the mortal's part, he can make his wishes a reality. It is the same when the gods lend aid to those who call upon our names for help. We use the strength of the mortal's will to gauge how much power we can offer him, as a means to make the wish come true."

"Does it mean, my Lady, that the chance of a wish being realized is very much dependent on the willpower of the wisher?" Kouseikei asked.

"I cannot stress that enough. But that is not all. We deities could not simply lend out our powers at a whim. First of all, we have learned to withhold aid if it was foreseen that interceding would only do more harm than good. Warfare, for example, was first brought upon this world by two deities who had unwittingly sided with two opposing factions." Palkia then paused, raising her gaze to the ceiling. By the look in her eyes, Kouseikei knew that she was looking beyond the mere confines of the crystal-laden wall.

"Nonetheless," she continued, "even if the wish was deemed to be safe, our powers also have limitations. If the wish does not match the nature of our abilities, we could do very little to help. To tell you the truth, Kouseikei, I could not do much for your wing with what powers that I have."

"Space and dimensions," he whispered, understanding her point.

"Yes," she agreed. "The powers the great Arceus had given me were geared towards the formation of matter. Although it would eventually lead towards _life,_ it cannot account for life itself, or its healing and regeneration. Do you have an idea about how I _sense_ things, Kousei?"

Kouseikei shook his head. He wondered if he could even grasp what she was about to explain.

"Apart from the usual five senses," Palkia explained, "I could literally _feel _the bends and twists of the fabric of space. Every movement, every sound, could not escape reverberating through the fabric without me feeling it. It is especially useful during battles, because it enables me to sense opponents' attacks like no other person can."

"As long as they keep moving," Kouseikei remarked.

"Correct," she answered, beaming slightly. "And you _are_ a perceptive warrior, Kouseikei, to have discerned my weakness so easily. More often than not, I have to wait for the enemy to make the first move. But even sensing movement alone could be tricky. Is that a falling leaf, or a fluttering insect wing? A friend's footsteps, or an enemy preparing for ambush? It is not so simple. Even though I have learned to harness Aura offensively, I could not use it to detect living beings like the Lucario line can. You may be wondering why I wasn't able to sense you when you stole my clothes. Now you know the answer."

Kouseikei simply smiled. Palkia was comfortable enough with him to reveal her limitations, and he was very honored by the privilege. He thought about telling the goddess that he would gladly cover her weakness with his Wind-sense throughout their journey, but he suddenly remembered that his Wind-sense was dulled, and would probably not be of much help.

"Jirachi, on the other hand," Palkia said, returning to the topic, "has the unique ability to turn wishes into reality regardless of their nature."

'_That's why we needed Jirachi…' _Kouseikei thought, seeing things through a new light.

"But in the end," she whispered, taking his hand in her own, "your willpower will decide everything. Even a god's abilities will not take effect if your will isn't strong enough, or if your wish has the slightest fragment of doubt."

Kouseikei understood that. Palkia had been stressing the importance of believing in one's self ever since the beginning of their journey, and now he realized why.

"I _believe _in you, Kouseikei," the Space Dragoness said, her voice full of trust.

"I believe in you too, Lady Palkia."

Ruby eyes met ebony. For a split second, Kouseikei thought that he saw a flicker of some intense emotion pass through her piercing gaze, but it was gone so quickly that he had no time to discern what it was. What he _did _notice, however, was that her cheeks were a tad rosier than usual.

"Thank you, my friend," she said in gratitude. When she spoke again, her tone was more cheerful. "And… you swim quite well, you know."

Kouseikei's eyes widened, and nervously he began to tug at a lock of hair again. Try as he might, though, he couldn't wipe the grin from his face.

"Oh, it's nothing," he said, feeling unusually elated by the compliment. "I… I have to give you much of the credit for that, my Lady. You looked really beautiful, too. I mean…" Kouseikei broke off, inwardly aghast that he had said more than what he intended to.

Palkia opened her mouth as though to reply, but apparently she couldn't form the right words on her lips. Instead, she began to twist her dark purple hair over her shoulder, looking oddly self-conscious as she did so. Silence stood between them for several minutes, with the only sounds being the occasional soft _plop _of water falling into the pool. Kouseikei mentally slapped himself for having caused the uncomfortable moment.

"We… we should get back," Palkia spoke up finally. "Maji is waiting for us, and…" Giving him an anxious look, she said, "You are already shivering. I will draw the water away from us later, so we will have ourselves dry again in no time."

Kouseikei quickly agreed, but not because of the cold that he was already feeling. Belatedly, he remembered that he and Palkia were wearing only a few bare essentials to hide their nakedness. His torso was completely unclothed, and she wasn't exactly wearing a long robe either. No one must know that the Goddess of Space had been alone with a man for quite some time in such a… confidential setting. As if the fact that he had let his tongue slip wasn't bad enough.

For the final time, they disappeared into the water with the star following them, letting the darkness reclaim the secrets of the crystal cave from whence they came.

…o0o…

Ashikase watched the Swellow carefully, knowing that from its actions, he would know when he would have to begin tailing his rival once again. He had caught up with Palkia and Kouseikei in the Eagle's Nest, but wisely he chose to observe them from afar, taking refuge in a small cave nearby. Hidden, he had seen how Kouseikei verbally lashed out at the goddess, and how she had withdrawn into the small pine forest near the village so she could shed tears without anyone seeing her.

'_You portray yourself as level-headed, Kousei. But in the end, you are just like any other Salamence… fearful in temper, using fists instead of words to negotiate…'_

…o0o…

"_Kousei!" Ashikase called out to the other Shelgon, clearly relieved to find him there._

_Kouseikei waved back, and gratefully he took the training weapon that his friend handed him. It was fashioned after the typical Salamence halberd, but it had blunt wood in the place of a sharp blade._

"_Sorry for being a little late, Ashi," Kouseikei said, assuming battle stance. "I got so engrossed with my work; Master Gyokuei had to remind me that I would miss the mandatory military training if I did not leave."_

_Ashikase snorted, but dutifully he took the same battle stance as Kouseikei. He executed the first move, but Kouseikei skillfully parried the blow, causing it to fall harmlessly on the training halberd where the shock was neutralized._

"_You are spending more and more time in the stonecarving den," Ashikase said, his tone accusing._

"_I couldn't help it, Ashi. You know how I enjoy working with the dragon-scale stone."_

_Ashikase knew of Kouseikei's passion. Even he had admired the bits of handiwork that Kouseikei had shown him, but it was not enough to convince Ashikase that stonecarving could be any better than training to be a warrior._

"_But either way," Ashikase replied, a little jealously, "you are still better than me when it comes to fighting. I honestly wonder how you managed to do it!"_

_Kouseikei smirked, and he changed his stance from defensive to offensive._

"_Magic," he answered tauntingly. Ashikase felt his hand jar as Kouseikei's weapon came into contact with his own, causing him to falter momentarily. The other Shelgon was quick to deliver a disarming maneuver, and in just a few seconds, Ashikase found himself lying sprawled on the ground, his weapon now in his training partner's hands._

"_I could almost believe it," Ashikase said, grinning as Kouseikei helped him up from the ground. The two of them took the time to exchange encouraging pats on the back before resuming their exercises, laughing occasionally in good-hearted fun._

…o0o…

A splash of white caught Ashikase's eye. Frowning slightly, he focused his vision and found out that it was a plain ribbon, entangled in the branches of the tree where he was sitting. Moving stealthily, he retrieved it, and was surprised to catch a most ethereal scent from the white band.

The scent of the lotus.

_Palkia's scent._

Ashikase pressed the cloth against his nose and breathed in the fragrance deeply. He _knew_ that it was hers. He had recognized from the very beginning that the goddess radiated a subtle perfume that could only be detected by Wind-sense.

_A fact that Kouseikei had yet to realize._

After a few moments' hesitation, Ashikase folded up the ribbon and tucked it inside his tunic, careful to place it right over where his heart lay.


	12. Spirits of the Wilderness

_Author's notes__:_

_I am so sorry if it seemed like I suddenly disappeared into the Reverse World. I assure you that I am not abandoning this story, but now that I have part-time work to juggle alongside my academics, I cannot give it as much attention as I would have wanted._

_This chapter reveals more about the background of Kouseikei's rival, Ashikase, who (as you may have already implied) is also the story's current de facto villain._

_The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri._

…o0o…

**Part II: Healing the Wings**

**Chapter VI: Spirits of the Wilderness**

'_Why are you in this desert?' _Ashikase thought, keeping his presence hidden as he watched the two figures in the barren wilderness. He wondered why he was so obsessed with having to follow them. So what if Kouseikei had befriended a goddess - a renowned daughter of the great Arceus, no less? Why should he care about their plans? Why should he care if something developed between his flightless rival and the Goddess of Space, as he was no doubt seeing right now...?

'_Shut up,' _he told the voices arguing in his mind. Absentmindedly, he reached inside his tunic and found Palkia's hair ribbon. As Ashikase ran his fingers over the smooth cloth, he discovered his insides seething at the sight of _him _walking beside her... as if a ferocious monster inside him itched to rip off _his _remaining wing from his back... to completely finish _him _off this time...

Ashikase barely heard the whistling in the air before he dodged the pointed iron weight of a chain swung right at him. Quickly leaping up the air in flight, he summoned his halberd and sent a slicing blade of wind at the assailant. The heavily-clothed figure snarled and pulled the chain against the sickle to which it was attached, fixing his stance to combat his now-flying enemy.

'_A kusarigama.'_

Having recognized his opponent's weapon, Ashikase flew into the sun where he knew the other man would have difficulty spotting him. He folded his wings closer to his body to prepare himself for his attack - one that he hadn't used in three years.

_An attack that nobody in the Salamence clan knew he possessed._

"It's time to die, _vermin!" _he shouted in a fierce battle cry, swooping down on his enemy like a falcon executing its hunting dive.

"_Cousin?"_

The voice threw Ashikase's rhythms off-balance, forcing him to suddenly brake before he hit the ground at full speed. His opponent, likewise, looked confusedly at the other similarly-cloaked figure that ran towards the scene.

"Ashikase, cousin, it _is_ really you!"

The young man threw off the protective cloths covering his face as he approached the startled Salamence.

"Itsukuni," Ashikase muttered in recognition as the Garchomp embraced him, the thrill of meeting his long-lost kinsman overwhelming his senses.

…o0o…

After finding a smooth rock comfortable enough to sit on, Kouseikei stretched his wings to catch the warmth of the late afternoon sun. Having permanently impaired his left wing just shortly after evolving into a Salamence, he had never really thought of utilizing the other functions of those keys to flight until Palkia pointed them out to him.

"Salamence wings retain the heat of the sun," she said. "Consider it a natural precautionary measure, as you and your kind are very vulnerable to the Ice element."

'_Thank you, Lady Palkia,' _Kouseikei remarked in his mind. He nearly let out a snarl of pain when he tried to extend his left wing, and after a few uncomfortable moments he resigned himself to the fact that the tendons had indeed been damaged beyond repair. At least his right wing was still functional, and gratefully he stretched it out to its full breadth. Feeling the sun's warmth spread over the blood-red webbing, he sighed in relief.

They had spent three days so far in the Desert of Lines, and in that short span of time they had encountered challenges more difficult than what they had seen in the Long Plateau and the Eagle's Nest combined. The repercussions of their non-common elementary affinities manifested in the most unexpected ways. As Kouseikei feared, Palkia's primary Water-typing did not sit too well with the harsh sunlight, sapping her strength for most of the daylight hours. Kouseikei, on the other hand, found the freezing nighttime temperatures close to unbearable. Although the trick of soaking up the sunlight in his wings helped considerably, Kouseikei and Palkia decided to travel only in the delicate intervals between night and day, to conserve their energies in the remaining times they weren't on the road.

…o0o…

"_Lady Palkia? What are you doing?" Kouseikei asked. It was still too early in the morning of their second day in the desert, but they had intentionally roused themselves before the sun could overtake them. The dry air was still bitterly cold. Despite having padded his cloak with a Mareep-wool blanket, Kouseikei still found it hard to move around with the same limberness that he usually possessed. Maji shared his problems thanks to their being Flying-type, and the female Swellow had tucked herself underneath the thick fabrics on his shoulder, grateful for their warmth._

_Palkia did not answer his question, and instead began to close her eyes in concentration. Kouseikei did not dare disrupt her just when it was evident she was focusing her power, but even in the dark he could observe that she looked a lot more tired than usual. Apparently, the brief night they spent wasn't enough for her to completely regain all of the strength she had lost in the previous day's exertions. He wondered if they should rest a bit more for her sake, but before he could voice out his misgivings, her eyes snapped open, the ruby-red irises flashing for a second. At her subtle actions, a rip of light opened right in front of them, causing after-images to form in Kouseikei's vision._

"_Run right at it, Kousei!" Palkia said, motioning to the rip, which he now realized was actually a portal._

_His reflexes awakened by the goddess' command, Kouseikei quickly steered himself into the spatial rift. His trust in Palkia overrode whatever fear he had in entering such an unusual passageway, although he did close his eyes prior to letting the gates of Space envelop him. Maji, frightened by the prospect of entering a portal, had buried her head in his hair. Kouseikei nearly choked as several of Maji's feathers, dislodged by the speed of his running, flew right in his mouth._

_His feet stopped their running on their own volition once they had reached the other side of the rift, granting Kouseikei enough time to cough up his pet Swellow's feathers and reassure Maji before Palkia appeared beside him. It didn't take much to see that they were at a different part of the desert._

_Palkia gave a soft groan, crumpling to her knees as she slowly fell forward, her consciousness temporarily lost._

"_Kiya!" Kouseikei cried, her nickname leaving his throat before he realized it. Moving quicker than a flash, he caught the goddess' form in time before it hit the cracked ground beneath them._

...o0o...

"I see that you've taken my advice to heart."

Kouseikei turned his head, smiling as he caught sight of Palkia walking towards him with Maji on her shoulder. She emerged from a shady natural grotto they had found among the rocks, where she and Kouseikei's pet Swellow had been napping throughout the worst of the desert heat. Although the young Salamence had joined them for a few hours, his sleep was light, and he got up immediately when the heat had lessened enough for him to be able to safely spread his wings in the sun.

"It really helped, my Lady," he said. The mortal dragon moved to make room for the goddess to sit to his right, his uninjured wing extending over her like a blood-red umbrella. His tone then became more precautionary. "We are not due to travel until about half an hour or so. Are you sure you have rested enough, Lady Palkia?"

In the shadow of his wing, Palkia laughed slightly, but not unkindly.

"You sound just like Dialga," she answered. "I feel fine, thank you. I have learned not to overexert myself during the day in a place like this. I presume I could already use Spatial Rend again without knocking myself out in the process."

"Lady Palkia!" Kouseikei exclaimed, his wont more urgent than usual. He flapped his wings slightly, as though to emphasize his point. _"Please. _I am perfectly all right with proceeding with the rest of our journey on foot."

Maji, echoing her master's sentiment, let out a series of distressed cries akin to a scolding. Palkia gently lifted the female Swellow from her shoulder and held Maji close to her heart, stroking the glossy feathers soothingly. Although Maji did calm down, she continued to stare at the deity with a look that was a mixture of concern, agitation, and bossiness. Palkia then looked at Kouseikei, her expression solemn.

"I really frightened you yesterday, didn't I?"

"Only a little," he replied immediately, although his eyes spoke otherwise. He had stayed by her side as she recovered from her near-catatonic state, with Maji bringing in an edible desert critter or two that Kouseikei roasted over a makeshift furnace for their meals. Thankfully, he remembered the Fire-weakening berries he had obtained in the Eagle's Nest, and the juice he squeezed from several of them served well to ease Palkia's exhaustion.

"I really commend you for your farsightedness on that matter," Palkia said softly. "I was reckless, and my miscalculation cost us an entire day of travel. I should have realized that it would be foolish to attempt opening a spatial rift with my mortal form in such a weakened state."

"You do not have to attempt it again," Kouseikei answered in an attempt to boost the goddess' confidence. "I won't have my Lady whittling down her life just to make things more convenient for me."

The Space Dragoness did not speak for some time. Kouseikei was afraid she would attempt to argue with him, but to his relief, she acceded to his wish.

"If that is what you really want, then I shall honor it," she said diplomatically, without a trace of disappointment whatsoever. "You are also a part of this journey, and it is only proper that I take your thoughts into consideration." Lifting Maji up in her forearm, she added with a smile, "And besides, I doubt Maji would let me sleep in peace if I do not give _her _thoughts a say in our decision-making."

Kouseikei laughed a little. The Swellow affectionately nipped at Palkia's nose before turning to her Salamence master and hopping to his outstretched arm.

"Now on to business," Palkia said, taking a dry stick and proceeding to draw a shape on the ground before them.

The young Salamence had learned from Palkia that reaching Jirachi's remaining cairns were less straightforward than the previous two, requiring that a series of instructions be completed first before the cairn itself could appear. The Desert of Lines was not a sandy desert, but rather an arid expanse of land composed of flat plains broken by a network of rocky hills. In the case of the third cairn, they had to walk specific paths on the many geometric figures etched on the desert floor. So immense was the scale of the etchings that Kouseikei could not grasp their appearance until Palkia drew a much smaller version of them for him.

"This one is more complicated than the spiral form we walked on the first day," she explained. Kouseikei looked at the figure she had drawn, and he made out what looked like a stylized figure of a bird.

"It looks rather like the phoenix form of the god Ho-Oh," Kouseikei remarked.

Palkia's eyes twinkled.

"You can tell? Just wait till we get to the last one. We still have two more figures to walk, not including the Ho-Oh figure we are tackling today. You can even see it faintly from here." She pointed to the pale lines on the reddish flatland spread in front of the small hill on which they rested. From their vantage point, it was difficult to make out the pattern among the many etchings on the field.

"It is time to go then, my Lady?"

"Yes. If we go now, we could walk the pattern and have enough time to go over the hills to the next one before night sets in."

_That _was another difficulty in the test. The patterns were scattered throughout the Desert of Lines.

"Do you need water, Kousei?" Palkia asked him after they went back to the shady grotto to pack up their belongings.

"Yes, please," he replied, gratefully taking a swig from an earthen jug he handed her. After letting Maji take a drink, he returned the vessel back to Palkia.

"Don't hesitate to tell me if you need more," she said after taking the jar back. "I made sure to gather as much water as I can while you were on the market in the Eagle's Nest. I won't have you hallucinating on me after cutting open some cactus to drink its juice."

"I wouldn't risk cutting up a Cacnea anyway," he answered. Frowning slightly, he asked, "Exactly how much water is in there, my Lady?" The jar looked even smaller than his personal drinking vessel back home, but he had managed to drink his fill without even having emptied its contents.

"Enough to fill Mesprit's bathtub back home. I am telling you, Kouseikei, that's _a lot,"_ she said, smirking.

'_Space compression,' _Kouseikei thought, recognizing the old familiar spell. Nonetheless, he chuckled at Palkia's choice of words. To aid in their secrecy, Palkia had generally avoided speaking about her celestial family, but now that they were in the wilderness she found it easier to talk about them.

Having gathered their provisions into the pair of tiny bags Palkia had provided for the journey, they set out and went on their way.

...o0o...

"What is that sound?" Kouseikei remarked as they walked on the desert floor. A strange humming noise began to echo in the light of the setting sun, eerily resembling the singing of a woman's voice.

"That's the flapping of Flygon wings," Palkia said, after pausing for a while to take in the haunting notes. "This desert totally lacks wind, and as such any air disturbances could only come from them."

"Will they harm us?"

"As long as we don't disturb them, I don't think so. The Mystic Dragons are not nearly as aggressive as the Salamence. At least," she immediately continued, to dissipate whatever awkwardness Kouseikei must have felt about her last statement, "the Desert of Lines is not nearly as large as the Long Plateau, or later on, the area of the Forgotten Mountains. In any case, once your flight is regained, it will be easier for us to get you back to Salamence territory."

"Oh. That's… that's great, my Lady."

Kouseikei looked up to where Maji was flying in the cooler air. The female Swellow's silhouette stood out in the cloudless sky, steadying his thoughts. He had not really considered that he would have to go back to his clan after completing his journey with Palkia, and the thought of parting from the Goddess of Space suddenly filled him with sadness. Of course, Palkia was a Legendary being, wasn't she? She had better business than to spend her time with a mortal like him. But still, the young Salamence wondered if she enjoyed his company as much as he enjoyed hers... or if she would miss him at all once their mission was through.

Palkia did not miss the somber tone of Kouseikei's words, but she did not press the matter further. She concentrated on making sure that they took the right path among the crisscrossing shapes on the ground. The lines were made a great many centuries ago by digging shallow trenches into the reddish soil of the desert to reveal the tan-colored sediments beneath. She _knew,_ for she was there when they were first made. To a person on the ground, the patterns were incomprehensible, obsolete even. It was only if one looked at it from above could one fully appreciate what an engineering marvel it was. But to achieve that effect, the figures had to be exceptionally large, and she gauged that the wings of Ho-Oh's figure alone stretched for more than a hundred meters wide. The etchings had weathered the ages thanks to their isolation and inhospitable landscape.

Likewise, they were spared the devastation of the wars instigated by the ancestors of -

"Doesn't my Lady miss being with her family?" Kouseikei's voice cut through her musings. "Won't Lord Arceus be worried about her by now?"

The Space Dragoness spared her mortal charge a puzzled look, but almost immediately, her expression relaxed.

"You forget that I could maintain Space even if I am not in my Father's palace," she answered, smiling. "Likewise, I do not have to physically be with my sisters and my brother to be able to send my thoughts to them. But yes, you're right. I do miss them, especially Mesprit's pranks."

"Lady Mesprit honestly does that?" Kouseikei remarked, hardly believing what he heard.

"Quite unusual for the Goddess of Emotion, don't you think?" Palkia affirmed. "But yes, she _does_ enjoy pranks. My poor little brother often gets the brunt of her jokes, and I do have to discipline her sometimes. One would not trust her to keep a secret for long, but otherwise she is a sweet little sister… if you could tolerate the mischievousness."

Kouseikei shared in her laughter before he could help it. "Do the goddesses Azelf and Uxie share her disposition?"

"You can count on Azelf to make more informed decisions than Mesprit, definitely. Those two do get into occasional squabbles over the most trivial matters, but they still care for each other. Oh, you should have seen how they quarreled over what color of flowers to give to Father at one time! Uxie is the most well-mannered of the three, if you'd ask me. Ironically, though, for all the textbook-style knowledge she possesses, she still has a kind of naivety about her."

Palkia's expression was very animated as she described her sisters, and Kouseikei had to smile at how youthful she looked. He found it hard to believe that Palkia was describing the very same Spirit Creators whom none of his elders would dare cross. Well, it wasn't as if the young Salamence had an easier time reconciling his preconceived notions of the fearsome Overseer of Space with the Palkia who now talked to him with such ease. But yes, she _was, _and _is _Palkia. She may be a goddess, but she does understand the perfectly human experiences of joy and familial bonds.

No doubt, she could understand love.

_And, she could also feel sorrow._

Kouseikei wasn't aware that he had been staring at her straight in the face until she broke off, no doubt flustered by his silence.

"I… I spoke too much, didn't I?" she said, sobering.

"No, no," Kouseikei said quickly, reddening slightly. "It's an honor to hear about your family, my Lady. I thank you for the privilege." The humming of the Flygon wings rang loud in his ears, as though to muffle the unpleasant feeling in his gut, not unlike the fluttering mass of Volcaronas he experienced several days before.

Palkia placed her hand on his shoulder. The feeling in his stomach intensified at her touch, but he didn't want her to pull away.

"If there is one thing you must know," she said, "I care for you too. As much as I care for my sisters and Dialga."

Kouseikei suddenly stopped walking.

"As much as Lord Dialga?"

He could not make out Palkia's expression in the dimming light. However, he did hear her say cryptically, "The mind can handle only too many revelations at a time, Kouseikei."

…o0o…

Ashikase found himself as the center of attention in the Garchomp tribe. The chief elder of the nomadic community was especially ecstatic to meet him, for Ashikase was one of his own grandchildren.

"It's been _years _since we last saw you, m'boy!" the old but still-strong Garchomp bellowed upon seeing the Salamence enter the family tent with his cousin Itsukuni. The elder got up from his seat of cushions and heartily embraced Ashikase around the shoulder. "I see you already have wings, eh? Your father would have been very proud of you!" Turning to the Garchomp who brought him in, the chief asked, "How did you come by him, Itsukuni?"

"My hot-headed apprentice tried to attack him," Itsukuni replied, slightly batting the head of a remorseful-looking Gabite boy who stood nearby.

The chief gave the younger dragon a disapproving look.

"Tsk. This does not help the reputation of the Garchomp. You all know very well that most other clans already see us as pilferers, and it is hard enough for me to negotiate a fair trade with a merchant with that stigma hovering right over our heads! Make sure he learns his lesson, Itsukuni."

As Itsukuni led the Gabite out of the tent, the chief elder turned to give Ashikase his undivided attention.

"Sit down, my boy, sit down," he said, forcing a chair on his grandson like a doting grandparent. "There are so many stories to tell. First, do tell this old man why you are in this place, so far away from the Salamence clan."

"It does get quite stifling in the stronghold," Ashikase replied, choosing his words carefully. "One feels the need to get out and explore new things once in a while." After pausing a little, he asked, "And you, Grandfather? Why did you take the tribe to this place?"

"The Desert of Lines," the old Garchomp explained, "is among the most sacred of places to our tribe. Much of this place's history is shrouded in myth, but it has been said that the Garchomp helped in etching messages to the gods upon the very desert ground. Although their actual meanings have been lost through the years, we still make a pilgrimage here once in a while, to show our respect to our ancestors."

'_Messages to the gods...' _Ashikase thought. _'Palkia...'_

"The fact that you found your way here is proof that your father's blood still runs strong in you," the chief continued. "It's not in Sunahara's nature to spend his entire life rooted to one place, unlike most of your mother's kin. Have you any news of Usui, my boy?"

"Mother... has been gone from the clan ever since she attained the wings to fly," Ashikase whispered.

The elderly Garchomp then gave a sad sigh.

"It seems we were too hard on her," the old dragon said. "I guess you know the story, Ashikase. Sunahara, your father, met Usui, who was then a Shelgon, when our caravan made a stop over in the Salamence stronghold more than two decades ago. They were like typical star-crossed lovers, so happy to find each other. However, I disapproved of Usui, and her clan distrusted the Garchomp. But that did not stop my son from mating with her, despite all the opposition."

Ashikase was silent, and although he already heard the story before, he let his grandfather narrate it to him anew.

"Usui traveled with us for some time, and it was during those years that she bore and raised you. Although we greeted your birth with joy, we always treated her as an outsider. Despite her best efforts, she always fell short of our standards." As the old Garchomp paused, regret clearly made its way into his features. "When you were seven years old, there came the issue of her evolution from a Shelgon to a Salamence. You know the ways of the Sky Dragons, my boy. They are very protective of the art of flight and the rituals of the final evolution ceremony, and as such, your mother was forced to return to them so she could obtain her wings."

"But they found out about me," Ashikase said gravely.

"Yes, they found out that she had mothered a Bagon," the elder agreed in the same tone. "They would not have one of their species being raised in a Garchomp caravan. Among the thieves, they said," he added, distaste in his voice. "They refused to allow your mother to obtain the final evolution until she handed you over. Your father loved Usui, and he understood her love for the air. We, however, did not. The moment we found out that she had left the tribe with you, we have since forbidden her to ever associate with us, or to see her mate again."

Ashikase was silent, his face utterly blank of all expression.

"Yes, it was too harsh of us," the elderly Garchomp said, and looking into his eyes one can see a plea for forgiveness. "I am not surprised that Usui disappeared without a trace after her wings emerged. If anything, the ability to fly had cost her your father and yourself, and her years of ostracism among the Garchomp had certainly not made her lot any better. Sunahara died shortly after your mother left, in a hunting accident. Ashikase, are you happy among the Salamence?"

"The Salamence raise their offspring communally," Ashikase said softly, avoiding answering the question directly. "To make sure each dragonling has an equal chance of reaching adulthood, they say."

'_Not only that...' _Ashikase thought privately. _'They wanted Mother to let me go. She was too attached to me, they said. They did not trust her to mold me to distrust the ways of the Garchomp. She was too tainted in their eyes. They wanted her out.'_

"Well, they _did _raise you into a fine Sky Dragon," the elder remarked, his good mood recovered. "Your arrival merits a celebration. Tonight, the fire is lit in your honor, my grandchild!"

…o0o…

In the dead of night, a cloaked figure crouched beside a nest of the Mystic Dragons. Its attentions were focused on the lone orange-colored egg at its very center. Luck favored him tonight, for the parents had left the nest unattended for some unknown reason, and the treasure was free for him to take.

The figure stole a quick glance left, then right, then above and behind him before reaching into the depression. With one swish of his cloak, the figure ran away, the stolen Trapinch egg tucked securely under one arm.

…o0o…

The sound of the Flygon wings roused Kouseikei from sleep. Groggily, he sat up and looked at the opening of the cave where they spent their night. Judging by the position of the moon, he had only slept for a few hours. Their fire had died down to but a few glowing embers, and he moved to rekindle the flames. Palkia was still soundly asleep, and so was Maji. He envied them for not being as disturbed by the desert sounds as he. At least, it was a good sign that his Wind-sense was coming back...

The humming sound was unusually close. Kouseikei frowned, and he walked to the mouth of the cave after adding some dry wood to the now-merry flames. When he felt his unbound blue-green hair fluttering slightly in the breeze, he knew at once that something was amiss. Didn't Palkia say that the desert was totally devoid of wind except when the Flygon stir it up themselves?

Kouseikei wrapped his traveling cloak about him and stepped out of their temporary shelter, cautiously taking in his surroundings as he walked a short distance away. The light of the moon and stars provided meager guidance as he stepped out in the open. The humming of wings sounded even louder now that the young Salamence had gone outside, but just _where _were they...?

The question was barely formed in his mind when rocks and soil suddenly sprung to life at his feet, engulfing him in a whirlwind of desert debris. Kouseikei found himself facing the red-tinted eye coverings of the bipedal green dragon before it swept him away, drowning his cry with the flap of its wings.

...o0o...

_Notes__:_

_Still confused about who's who in Ashikase's family tree? His father was a Garchomp named Sunahara, while his mother was a Shelgon (eventually a Salamence) named Usui. Itsukuni was his cousin, a child of one of his father's siblings. You never guessed Ashikase was only a half-Salamence, ne?_

_Just in case you haven't caught the references, the Desert of Lines was based on the actual Nazca Lines of Peru, and the instance of hallucinating after drinking cactus juice was an obvious nod to Avatar: the Last Airbender._


	13. The Fury of the Dragon

_Author's notes__:_

_Okay, it's my bad for not having updated for such a long time (plus leaving off at a cliffhanger, to boot), and I won't blame many of my readers if they've given up on me. I assure you guys that this story is far from abandoned; it's just the matter of having more crucial things taking my time__.__ This chapter has far more action than the previous ones, and it was a bit difficult to write even though it was quite fun._

_The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri._

…o0o…

**Part II: Healing the Wings**

**Chapter VII: The Fury of the Dragon**

The sharp but brief cry was enough to shake Palkia out of her slumber. Quickly snapping her eyes open, the Goddess of Space sat up in time to catch sight of the desert whirlwind that had kicked up near the entrance of their temporary dwelling. Almost immediately, she realized that she was alone...

'_Kouseikei!'_

Not stopping a moment to think, the Space Dragoness threw off the Mareep-wool blanket from her body and dashed out of the cave. Her mortal charge's sudden disappearance had caused her fight-or-flight instincts to activate at full force, and Palkia hadn't even bothered to put on her outer cloak to guard against the elements as she ran. Well, none of the elements would _dare_ stand between her and Kouseikei now.

As she ran towards the whirlwind, Palkia closed her eyes and used her spatial sense to detect the structure of the swirling vortex. In her mind's eye, she saw what looked like a full-fledged Flygon at the heart of the maelstrom. And with the Flygon, struggling in the blinding melee of debris, was—

Palkia's twin war fans were out in an instant. Her ruby eyes flashed as she channeled her powers on to the fan she held in her right hand. With a cry of fury, she sent the crescent of purple energy careening towards the violent tornado.

"_Let him go!"_

...o0o...

'_What fix have I gotten myself into _this _time?' _Kouseikei berated himself as he thrashed against the Flygon's windy contraption. Finally, he managed to focus his will and concentration into summoning his weapon. The young Salamence was about to swipe at the Mystic Dragon with his halberd when a blast of purple-tinged light hit the tornado, disrupting the vortex and causing it to dissipate.

"_Let him go!"_

Although rather disorientated at being spun around, Kouseikei managed to cushion the impact of his landing by distributing his weight equally on his four limbs. Palkia's livid battle cry barely made it past the ringing in his ears, but there was no mistaking the ferocity in her expression as she sent wave after wave of what looked like Dragon Pulse at the Flygon. The Mystic Dragon hissed in anger, and in an act of defiance, it charged at her, cloaking itself once more in a shield of rotating desert debris. Kouseikei was on his feet at once, ready to help the goddess.

"_Argh!"_

Kouseikei felt the wind being knocked out of him as another Flygon appeared out of nowhere and slammed itself against his body. His weapon flew out of his hand and embedded itself blade-first on the parched earth. Kouseikei wrestled with the new Flygon until he discovered that they were rolling dangerously close to the edge of a rocky bluff. Before he could reorient himself, the young Salamence found himself falling down the barren outcrop while the Flygon harmlessly flew away, no doubt to assist its companion against Palkia.

'_I won't let you lay a hand on her!' _Kouseikei thought furiously, putting his own safety at the back of his mind as he desperately clawed at the cliff face for some handhold. To his dismay, he couldn't find one. Finally, just as he was within a few feet of plummeting to the foot of the desert crack, it occurred to him to summon his wings and use their claws to dig into the bare rock and arrest his fall. Although his tattered left wing was nowhere near as mobile as his healthy one, it did work. After gathering his breath for a few seconds, Kouseikei scaled the cliff as fast as his limbs could carry him. Once he had cleared the precipice, he retrieved his halberd and ran to where Palkia was still engaging the two Flygon.

Despite the danger of the situation and his own apprehension, Kouseikei couldn't help but notice how remarkable Palkia looked holding her own ground against the combined assault. He had never seen her fight before, and the sight of the normally gentle goddess in combat was deadly and beautiful at the same time.

His own war cry joining hers, Kouseikei sliced the blade of his halberd into the dry ground, sending out a barrage of razor-sharp rocks from below one of the Flygon in a Stone Edge attack. Noticing that he had joined her, Palkia adjusted her fighting style to synch with his. She concentrated on deflecting their opponents' attacks while Kouseikei whittled down their endurance with his own moves. An avian cry made them all temporarily look up as Maji, unwilling to be left out of the fight, soon added her own arsenal of attacks to aid her master. The valiant Swellow circled the battlefield, screaming defiance at the Flygon who assaulted her friends.

Finally, a combination of Aura Sphere and Flamethrower was too much for one of the Flygon. Unable to stay airborne for much longer, it lay exhausted on the ground, its wings flapping weakly. Palkia and Kouseikei were about to deal with the remaining Flygon in the same manner, but something made them simultaneously pause in their actions.

The still-aloft Flygon let out a distressed cry upon seeing its companion lying vulnerable on the ground. Abandoning its fight with the Salamence and the Goddess of Space, it flew to the other Mystic Dragon, nuzzling its snout against the weakened dragon's face. Shielding its friend's body with its own, the Flygon fixed a steady glance at its opponents before letting out another cry, this time soft and heart-wrenching.

Kouseikei and Palkia lowered their weapons at once. Maji also quieted down and alighted softly on her master's shoulder. It was only then that he noticed something. The two Mystic Dragons carried fresh battle marks that had nothing to do with their recent skirmish. Furthermore, the weakened dragon appeared to be a male, and the other Flygon was a female. Kouseikei looked at Palkia, who silently affirmed his observations. The two Flygon were not mere friends. They were mates.

Palkia put away her war fans and crouched close to the ground, cautiously approaching the two Mystic Dragons. Beside her, Kouseikei followed suit. Although he said nothing, the fact that the Flygon were mated to each other had stirred something in the young Salamence's heart.

_One that, for some strange reason, had something to do with Palkia as well..._

"I am sorry we got off on the wrong foot," she whispered, extending out a hand in an effort of reconciliation. "Maybe if we hear your end of the story, we will be able to sort things out."

…o0o…

Kouseikei touched the bare depression on the nest that the two Flygon had led them to. He could not see much in the dim light, but his fingers can at least feel the part of the soil where an egg should have been. In the moonlight, he made out certain tracks radiating from the nest... ones that were _clearly _not of a Flygon. Sitting on his shoulder, Maji chirruped curiously.

"Their nest was raided, all right," Kouseikei said to Palkia. "They must have attempted to fight whoever got their egg, but somehow they weren't successful... and now they're requesting our help."

"Would you think that the person over there would know where their egg got to, Kousei?" Palkia said in reply.

Puzzled, Kouseikei followed her line of vision. A little bit away was a small point of light from a single campfire. The two dragons looked at each other and shared the same conclusion: _surely, there aren't too many living beings in the Desert of Lines that have the capacity to challenge the Flygon?_

…o0o…

The cloaked figure stared greedily at the large egg he held in his hands. The oblate thing shone orange in the light of the fire. Its pesky parents were a menace, but now that he had given them a taste of what he could do, they wouldn't bother him again. A Trapinch not yet hatched from the egg would surely fetch a high price...

"Ahem, excuse me..."

The youth jumped at once at the sound of the foreign voice. Without even glancing at its source, he hurled a handful of the dry soil in its direction as he made his escape, hurriedly placing the Trapinch egg in a padded sack as he did so.

Kouseikei coughed as the Sand-Attack hit him, and he managed to clear his eyes of some of the debris before running after the cloaked youth.

"Wait!" the young Salamence called out. "Have you seen a Trapinch egg around here? Two Flygon have lost one."

"I know of no Trapinch egg!" the retreating figure snapped back, running as fast as he could. He let out a yelp when a Swellow utilizing Aerial Ace hit him on the head, followed by what looked like an Aura Sphere to the legs. He managed to shield his precious quarry as he rolled to the ground. Seeing the older man gaining on him, he decided to Dig into the ground, opening up a hole where neither Aerial Ace nor Aura Sphere could reach.

'_You have to do better than that,' _Kouseikei thought, planting a firm foot on the ground. At his gesture, Earthquake sent its deadly waves across the ground, also regurgitating the disgruntled youth from where he had sought to hide.

"You want a fight?" he snarled, taking out a kusarigama and beginning to twirl the weapon's chain for momentum. He narrowed his eyes at the man, trying to figure out his clan of birth. The boy noted that he possessed blood-red wings, although the left one was badly torn and most likely useless for flight. "I'll give you one!"

"Why so hot-headed, young one?" Kouseikei said, barely suppressing an amused smile as he continued to approach, not even bothering to draw his halberd.

"_I said I know of no Trapinch egg!" _the youth retorted, finally throwing the chain at the older man.

Kouseikei easily dodged the attack. Utilizing evasive maneuvers, he kept the youth hitting at thin air. When the cloaked figure started utilizing elemental moves along with his weapon, Kouseikei fought back similarly, pitting element against element to neutralize the attack. The Salamence could sear his opponent's face off with Fire Blast, he knew. But the youth's age, along with the fact that he had the Trapinch egg in his keeping, caused Kouseikei to hold back.

The cloaked youth, enraged at the other man's actions, decided that he had no time to continue playing the game. Letting out a yell, he ran towards the Salamence with his blade poised to kill, engulfing himself and his weapon in an orange glow as a prelude to Dragon Rush.

Kouseikei stared at the youth as though in a trance. For some reason he could not fathom, his heart had begun to beat faster, and sweat, cold sweat, was breaking out all over his skin. He found it difficult to move, or to think. What _was_ the matter with him? It was only a young boy. He, an established Salamence, could easily dodge him. He could easily get out of way. Then _why _had has limbs turned to lead?

_Get out of the way!_

"_Kousei!"_

Palkia's voice cleared his mind. Seconds before the blade smote Kouseikei on the stomach, he leaped high into the air, somersaulting over the cloaked youth to escape the attack completely. Before the boy could regain his senses, Kouseikei had disarmed him by a quick twist of the arm. As his weapon clattered on the ground, he in turn was knocked down face-first. Now the other man could simply snap his neck in two if he dared...

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" the boy screamed even before Kouseikei could make another move. He held the sack containing the Trapinch egg to the young Salamence, "Take it! Take it and let me go!"

Wordlessly, Kouseikei took the stolen egg carefully in his arms. The youth hurriedly gathered his weapon, readjusted the bindings of his cloak, and ran away into the night. He only stole one glance back, and he saw that several figures had joined the man he had just fought with. Two of them were Flygon, obviously happy to have their offspring returned to them. The other was a mysterious woman with a Swellow on her shoulder. She had long purple hair, with pale skin that shone like a pearl in the moonlight. A glance from her red-colored eyes made him feel uncomfortable, and he didn't want to find out why. He turned away swiftly, determined to get back to his clan's caravan as swiftly as he could.

…o0o…

Kouseikei was visibly exhausted by the time they had returned to their shelter. He was only too happy to oblige when Palkia encouraged him to lean against her as they walked, the combined warmth of their bodies a comfort to the Sky Dragon. He had lost his cloak when the Flygon carried him away in its desert tornado, and only the flow of adrenaline in his systems during the succeeding fights had enabled him to ignore the cold. Now that the night's adventure was over, the chill was becoming unbearable. He had not even realized that his wings were out the whole time until Palkia requested him to retract them so she could lay him down on his mat.

"What clan did he belong to?" the Salamence asked groggily as Palkia added dry wood to their makeshift hearth to fill the cave with warmth. He saw Maji flying back to her perch, and after flapping her wings a few times, she returned to sleep.

"I can't be sure," she answered. "But he looked like a member of the Garchomp line, most likely a Gabite." Kouseikei was too tired to protest when Palkia removed his tunic so she can tend to the cuts and bruises that he had acquired during the fight. She took a jar of ointment and proceeded to apply the salve into his wounds, staying careful to keep her movements gentle for his sake.

"Any idea why he's here, my Lady?"

"Unfortunately, I have no answer to that. But the important thing for now is that you're safe. You need to rest; that was a pretty big thing you had to go through."

Kouseikei did not contradict her about that; he _did _feel tired, immensely so. After she had finished tending to his injuries, she dressed him once again in his tunic before cocooning him in a warm Mareep-wool blanket. Only when he was fully comfortable did Palkia move on to other business, putting away the generous handful of knobby-looking roots that the Flygon have left for them.

"Tubers, aren't they?" he remarked.

Palkia nodded, smiling.

"They're precious as gold in a desert like this," she explained. "It's a good source of water, apart from being filling in themselves. At least we won't have to worry about food for now." After putting away the last root, she returned to Kouseikei's side, placing a soothing hand on his forehead. "Sleep yourself out, Kousei. You deserve it."

The young Salamence frowned, however.

"But my Lady... won't we further delay ourselves if I...?"

"I am not accepting any _buts,"_ Palkia said almost immediately. "If you push yourself too hard, you'll end up just like I had several days ago, more knocked out than a drunk Slowbro. I gave you my word that I will not use another portal again despite its convenience, so please listen to me now. Recuperate and recover your strength. We will continue our journey once you feel better."

Kouseikei sighed, but he bowed to her wishes. Palkia then went to her own cot, lying down to get her own share of rest.

"Lady Palkia..."

"Hmmm?"

He took in a deep breath before saying his next words.

"I'm sorry; I know I caused you anguish by placing myself in danger like that."

Palkia did not answer at once, but when she eventually did, her tone was kind.

"It was not your fault, my Constant Star."

…o0o…

Kouseikei did sleep himself out, and felt rested enough to continue with their journey the late afternoon of the next day. The next set of lines they had to walk on the desert floor took on the swan form of Cresselia, the Moon Goddess. After finishing that task, the mortal dragon began to wonder what the last figure would be.

He was about to ask Palkia about it over supper when she remarked, "You fight using the ways of Dragon's Fury."

The young Salamence was surprised by her bringing up the subject of his fighting style, but respectfully he told her that it was true. His clan had always favored the martial art they called _Dragon's Fury, _and as such Kouseikei had received extensive training in its forms.

"It's been a long while since I last saw it used," Palkia remarked softly. "Dragon's Fury is quite an obscure art these days. As far as I can see, only the Salamence still practice it."

"Our elders never elaborated too much on its history," Kouseikei answered apologetically. "But they did say it was quite ancient."

"Oh, it _has _ancient roots," she affirmed. "I recognized it the moment I saw your stances and footwork last night, especially when you were dueling with that Gabite boy. It's a vicious form."

"Some maneuvers were designed to kill, yes," he said quietly. "Is it true, my Lady, that it was outlawed for a time because of it?"

"Yes, Dragon's Fury was notorious back in its heyday." She seemed to be on the verge of elaborating on that before deciding against it. "I tried my hand at it a long time ago, but I chose not to progress because I prefer a combat form that does not rely too much on physical attacking strength."

"Even so, I think you do so well with what you have," Kouseikei told her. "You turn opponents' power against them, instead of relying overly on brute force. And I can see that you are very adept at synching your movements with that of your allies. Last night was really impressive."

Palkia chuckled before saying her thanks.

"If last night was any example, I'd say Dragon's Fury allied with Water-type fighting style is very effective, ne? You and I should practice together more often."

Kouseikei enthusiastically took up on the offer, and as he was drinking water from an earthen cup, Palkia spoke again.

"Oh, I'll have to correct myself. You and your kin are _not _the only ones who still use Dragon's Fury extensively. There _is_ someone among the Legends who remains its regular practitioner. His is the form that we have to walk for the last stretch of this desert."

The young Salamence tilted his head to the side as he asked, "Who would that be, Lady Palkia?"

Palkia began to etch bright lines into the invisible fabric of space before him. When she had finished, Kouseikei's jaw dropped. The figure Palkia had drawn was none other than the serpentine dragon form of the Sky God Rayquaza, the patron of the Salamence.

…o0o…

Kouseikei could hardly wait to finish with the last figure in the desert, and Palkia had to smile at his childlike enthusiasm. However, she could not blame his excitement. She reckoned any Salamence would be proud to pay homage to his patron god. The Kingdra wouldn't have reacted differently with regards to their patron, the Goddess of Space.

The next afternoon, they silently followed the complex lines that wove inwards, the Sky God's figure forming a tight spiral with a circular piece of flat stone at the center of it all. Kouseikei reckoned that it was the cairn's location, but he could see nothing until they finished tracing the patterns of Rayquaza's body. Finally, at the last step, the mound of stones appeared. It did not shimmer into being as he thought it would, but rather, it just _was. _The cairn would only appear to those who had followed the instructions correctly, and now it recognized him in the blink of an eye. And once Kouseikei had placed the required stone on the shrine, the cairn disappeared, as though it was never there. Now there were only two cairns left... the one in the Forgotten Mountains, and the final one, in Jirachi's domain.

"I just remembered," Palkia said as she and Kousei strolled together in the dimming light. "When you first encountered me in that mountain spring... I flew in the form of a star. Did you see me then, Kousei?"

The mortal dragon smiled a little at the memory.

"Yes I did, my Lady," he answered. "You reminded me of the myth of the Star Maiden, which was my favorite bedtime story back when I was little."

"Star Maiden?" Palkia repeated, her curiosity sparked by the statement. "I would like to hear the story, if you don't mind."

Kouseikei replied that he would be more than happy to do so, and without a moment's ado, he related it to her.

"There was once a poor hunter who lived alone in the forest. One early morning, just as he was going through his routine of checking his traps, he saw seven stars descend from the heavens. He followed their course and saw them alight at the shore of a clear pool. The hunter hid in the bushes as the beings took off their dresses, each of which looked like a star, and laid them on the shores of the pool. They were all beautiful celestial women, and he wondered if he could have one of them for a wife. Therefore, when the maidens all dove in at the same time, he quickly seized the robe of one maiden and hid it in the sheath of his knife."

The young Salamence paused to observe Palkia's reaction, but she simply smiled at him and told him to continue.

"So it happened that after the maidens were done bathing, the youngest sister could not find her robe where she had left it. After a futile search in which all the sisters took part, they decided to leave her on earth, bidding her to return to the heavens only when she had found her robe again. The hunter waited until the other sisters had gone before he approached the weeping maiden, asking her why she was there all alone. After she relayed her sad story to him, he offered to take her to his home so she can have something to wear. Having no other choice, the star maiden went with him.

"In time, the maiden and the hunter were married, and they had one child, a baby son. One day, while the hunter was away, the baby began to cry incessantly. His mother did not know what to do, and none of her caresses could soothe him. Finally, she figured out that the baby kept pointing to a knife sheath hidden in the rafters. She took it down for her child, and looking inside it she discovered her star dress. Realizing that her husband had been keeping this secret from her all along, she put on the robe and flew back to the heavens."

"Thus leaving behind her grieving husband to care for their child without her," Palkia said, finishing the story for him.

"You know the myth, my Lady?" Kouseikei asked, astonished.

"Not in that form," she explained, patting his arm slightly. "The Kingdra have a similar legend, although for them the celestial maidens were _swans _and not stars. Oh, there's another difference..." She giggled a little before continuing. "The maidens had a brother, and when the hunter went to seek his wife out in the heavens, his brother-in-law subjected him to multiple ordeals before he can take her back."

That variation in the legend astounded Kouseikei, and he found himself staring at his feet in an attempt to hide his blush. Surely, he couldn't be thinking...

"Lord Dialga must be furious at me for what I have done to you, my Lady," he muttered.

"Oh, Dialga can be stubborn," she replied with a wave of her hand. "One can call him difficult, but his loyalty and penitence are real. We have gone through so much together, and as such he's quite protective of me... sometimes overly so."

'_No doubt about that,' _Kouseikei thought secretly, remembering how the God of Time came to Palkia's rescue when she was stranded in the mountain spring due to a wardrobe mishap.

"As the God of Time he possesses equal rank as I," Palkia added, "but he usually defers to my wishes not only because I'm older, but also... well, because I was the only one he can spar with."

They laughed together at the last statement, recognizing its lighthearted tone.

"And Kousei, one more thing," she said, her expression turning serious. She stopped walking, and Kouseikei stopped too, out of respect for her.

"What is it, my Lady?"

"When we activated the previous cairn before now, you told me I was beautiful. I hope you'll forgive me for taking so long to tell you this, but I'll have to admit it to you..." she said, struggling to maintain eye contact with him. "I think you are quite handsome, too. You bear an uncanny resemblance to my younger brother, albeit in a more ethnic and unadorned manner."

"Lady Palkia..." Kouseikei whispered breathlessly, hardly believing what he just heard. Was it really true that he was being compared so favorably to the God of Time by the Goddess of Space herself?

"Please don't think too badly of me for this," Palkia continued, looking down and twisting her purple sidelocks in her nervousness. "Originally, my eagerness to lead you to Jirachi stemmed from your physical similarity with my favorite sibling, but..." Her hands left her hair, and her red eyes met his ebony ones. "I have grown fond of you for reasons beyond your mere resemblance to Dialga. People in the Eagle's Nest have been asking me if you're my mate, and to be honest..." She cracked a small smile at him as she said her next words. "I would prefer to be linked with you, Kousei, than with anyone else."

Palkia's words echoed in Kouseikei's mind many times even after she had become silent. Although his stomach had started to feel funny again, a voice inside him was screaming triumphantly, _"Yes! Yes!" _in time with the equally elated rhythm of his heartbeat. He could not pretend to understand the entirety of his own reactions yet, but he was determined not to leave Palkia alone in her admission.

"Kiya," he said softly, his wide grin looking queerly mismatched with his tone. "Despite how I have acted in the Eagle's Nest, I would also have wanted to be with you. Even if we are not on this journey to the Wishmaker."

The Space Dragoness' ruby eyes twinkled, but she finally motioned that they should go into one of the nearby rocky outcrops so they could start a fire against the cold. Although they shared few words with each other that night, they felt considerably closer to each other than they had ever been.

…o0o…

Ashikase was only half-listening to the prattle of the young Gabite who sat near to him in the communal fire. The meat he was roasting over the flames was almost done, and he wouldn't want to eat anything burned tonight.

"For stealing a Trapinch egg _and _for making up such preposterous stories," Ashikase's grandfather admonished the young dragon. "You sure deserved the beating you got!"

"But I'm honest!" the Gabite insisted. "There was a man with wings, and a woman with purple hair and red eyes! They even had a Swellow with them!"

Ashikase nearly dropped the stick of meat into the fire. The old Garchomp rolled his eyes and ordered the Gabite out of his sight. Unseen by anyone, Ashikase retrieved the white ribbon from within his clothes. Its fragrance renewed his resolve, and he spoke to the tribe leader.

"With all due respect, Grandfather, I beg your permission to depart from the tribe early tomorrow morning. I must go my way."

…o0o…

Notes:

_As my readers may have implied by now, the myth of the Star Maiden was based on certain real-life legends that include swan maidens, selkies, and tennyo. The instance of the Star Maiden having a brother was not my original conception, either; I derived that from a local variation of the myth we possess here in the Philippines.  
_


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